Arizona State Football: A Legacy, the Territorial Cup, and Playoff Hopes
Arizona State University (ASU) football boasts a rich history, intertwined with tradition and the pursuit of excellence. As the 2025 season unfolds, the Sun Devils find themselves navigating not only their opponents but also the weight of their own historical expectations. This article delves into ASU's football legacy, examines the significance of the annual Territorial Cup rivalry game against the University of Arizona, and analyzes the team's chances of making the Big 12 Championship and the College Football Playoff.
The Challenge of History
ASU football coach Kenny Dillingham is acutely aware of the challenges his team faces. He has emphasized that the Sun Devils are not only competing against their opponents but also against their own history. Dillingham has shared with his team the historical statistics of Arizona State when ranked in the Top 15, noting the consistent struggles the program has faced in such situations over the past 50 years.
"We're trying to beat history, right? We're not just facing opponents, right? We're facing 50 years of history," Dillingham stated, underscoring the difficulty of overcoming this historical trend.
Since the Associated Press poll began, the Sun Devils have been ranked in the Top 15 of the Associated Press poll 10 times. The results have often been unfavorable. In 2015, they finished with a 6-7 overall record. In 2008, they went 5-7 overall. In 1998, they went 5-6 overall. In 1987, they had a 7-4-1 record. In 1984, they had a 5-6 record. They went just 4-7 overall in 1976. That mark was 7-5 in 1974. You have to go back to 1971, 1972 and 1973 to see Arizona State sustain success as a preseason Top 15 team. It went 11-1 in 1971, 10-2 in 1972 and 11-1 in 1973.
ASU's history in the AP Top 25 preseason poll reveals a mixed bag of outcomes:
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- 2025: No. 11
- 2021: No. 25 (finished unranked, 8-5 overall)
- 2015: No. 15 (finished unranked, 6-7 overall)
- 2014: No. 19 (finished ranked No. 12, 10-3 overall)
- 2008: No. 15 (finished unranked, 5-7 overall)
- 2006: No. 24 (finished unranked, 7-6 overall)
- 2005: No. 20 (finished unranked, 7-5 overall)
- 2003: No. 22 (finished unranked, 5-7 overall)
- 1999: No. 25 (finished unranked, 6-6 overall)
- 1998: No. 8 (finished unranked, 5-6 overall)
- 1996: No. 20 (finished ranked No. 4, 11-1 overall)
- 1987: No. 14 (finished ranked No. 20, 7-4-1 overall)
- 1984: No. 13 (finished unranked, 5-6 overall)
- 1982: No. 19 (finished ranked No. 6, 10-2 overall)
- 1981: No. 20 (finished ranked No. 16, 9-2 overall)
- 1979: No. 18 (finished unranked, 6-6 overall)
- 1977: No. 17 (finished ranked No. 18, 9-3 overall)
- 1976: No. 3 (finished unranked, 4-7 overall)
- 1974: No. 15 (finished unranked, 7-5 overall)
- 1973: No. 14 (finished ranked No. 9, 11-1 overall)
- 1972: No. 12 (finished ranked No. 13, 10-2 overall)
- 1971: No. 14 (finished ranked No. 8, 11-1 overall)
- 1970: No. 19 (finished ranked No. 6, 11-0 overall)
- 1968: No.
Dillingham's focus on this historical context is intended to make his team aware of the challenges they face and to motivate them to overcome these obstacles.
The Territorial Cup: More Than Just a Game
The annual rivalry game between Arizona State and Arizona, known as the Territorial Cup, is one of the oldest and most storied rivalries in college football. The winner of this game receives the Territorial Cup, a trophy created 127 years ago for the 1899 champion between schools in Arizona. The NCAA has certified it as the oldest rivalry trophy in college football.
The rivalry dates back to 1899, when the University of Arizona in Tucson played the Normal School of Arizona in Tempe as part of the Arizona Territorial Football League Championship. The two teams have played each other sporadically for the next decades, and have played almost every year beginning in 1925 (when Arizona State became a four-year college).
The Territorial Cup game has always been played in either Tempe or Tucson, alternating between the two campuses. Games in odd-numbered years are played in Tempe at ASU, and even-numbered years in Tucson at UA. The game is part of the wider Arizona-Arizona State rivalry, which crosses 20 varsity intercollegiate sports.
The Territorial Cup rivalry has had many memorable moments:
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- In 1958, the year the measure was to be put to a statewide vote, Arizona State defeated Arizona 47-0.
- In 1968, the contest was expected to decide which team would go on to the Sun Bowl, but before the game, Arizona coach Darrell Mudra issued an ultimatum to the Sun Bowl committee that his team would not play in the bowl unless they were selected regardless of who won. The committee chose Arizona, who promptly lost to Arizona State 30-7 in what became known as the "Ultimatum Bowl".
Starting with the 2009-2010 school year, both schools created a “Territorial Cup Series” that encompasses each of the 20 varsity intercollegiate sports that Arizona and Arizona State compete head to head in. Each sport is worth either a half or full point in the year-long competition. The school that records the most points during the school year wins a trophy that is named after the Territorial Cup football trophy. If both schools finished tied, the winner of the football game decides the tiebreaker and is declared the winner.
Each year's winner receives the Territorial Cup, a traveling trophy. In 2000, Arizona contacted Arizona State about displaying the cup on their campus. The following year, then ASU President Lattie Coor ordered that the Territorial Cup be shared as a traveling trophy, to be displayed by each year's winner.
Arizona dominated the early portion of the series, winning 20 of the first 22 meetings. The Sun Devils had a reign of dominance from 1949 to 1981, winning 24 of 33. The Wildcats got the best of ASU from 1982 to 1998, going 13-3-1. Arizona State had their 2021 victory vacated in 2024 due to NCAA violations. Arizona won the 2025 meeting by a score of 23-7 and currently has a one-game winning streak.
In Pac-12 Conference play, Arizona won the series 23-21-1.
The 2025 Season and Playoff Scenarios
Entering Week 14 of the 2025 College Football season, the Arizona State Sun Devils are still in the running to potentially secure a spot in the Big 12 Championship game.
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PFSN’s College Football Playoff Meter gives Arizona State a 12.7% chance of playing in the Big 12 Championship game, and a 4.1% chance of making the College Football Playoff.
For ASU to have a shot at the Big 12 Championship, several scenarios need to unfold. First and foremost, Arizona State needs to win against Arizona in their final game.
Even with a victory over Arizona, the Sun Devils need help from other teams in the conference, specifically Texas Tech and BYU. The Sun Devils’ win over Texas Tech is the ace up their sleeve. Both BYU and Utah have head-to-head losses against Texas Tech, so in the right scenario, Arizona State can surge to one of the top two spots and make the Big 12 Championship.
There are two routes into the College Football Playoff for teams: win their conference championship game or be an at-large team.
As of late November, the College Football Playoff rankings placed the Sun Devils at No. 25, the program’s first time appearing in the poll this season. The selection committee has leaned on head-to-head matchups as a tiebreaker for teams in similar tiers of the rankings.
According to College Football Playoff chair Hunter Yurachek, “The committee has a lot of respect for Arizona State. They’ve had a lot of injuries this year and continue to play through those. They’re the one team that’s beaten Texas Tech, who’s ranked No. 5, a team that is highly regarded by this committee. They also have a win at Iowa State, and then they’ve got losses to a Houston team that is now ranked 23rd, Utah that’s (ranked) No. 12, and a good Mississippi State team that is 5-6, but a team that’s played very well this year against their SEC schedule.”
One scenario for ASU to advance involves the following:
- Texas Tech defeats West Virginia
- BYU loses at Cincinnati and defeats UCF
- Cincinnati loses at TCU to end the season
In this scenario, the Sun Devils would be involved in a four-way tie with BYU, Utah and Houston and win the tiebreaker based on its record against common conference opponents. Texas Tech, West Virginia and Colorado appear on all four schedules. In this scenario, where the Sun Devils win out, they are only the undefeated team against that trio.
Another scenario involves a six-way tie atop the standings. ASU gets in if Iowa State wins out because of the fourth tiebreaker, strength of schedule. ASU would then play Utah.
Navigating the Complexities of College Football
The path to the Big 12 Championship and the College Football Playoff is rarely straightforward. Tiebreakers, head-to-head records, and strength of schedule all play a role in determining which teams advance.
The College Football Playoff selection committee also considers factors such as injuries to key players and coaching changes when evaluating teams. In 2023, Florida State finished with a perfect 13-0 record but was left out of the playoff after quarterback Jordan Travis went down with an injury.
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