Arizona State Sun Devils

The Arizona State Sun Devils are the athletic teams representing Arizona State University. ASU has nine men's and eleven women's varsity teams competing in the NCAA Pacific-12 Conference. The men compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, swimming/diving, track, and wrestling. Women compete in basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming/diving, tennis, track, volleyball, and water polo.

Athletes at ASU are known as "Sun Devils." The mascot was adopted in 1946; earlier nicknames were the Normals and later, the Bulldogs. The Sun Devil mascot, Sparky, was designed by former Disney illustrator Bert Anthony. ASU's chief rival is the University of Arizona Wildcats.

Notable athletic achievements
ASU has 23 NCAA team national championships, including baseball (five times), women's tennis (three times), men's gymnastics (one), men's track and field (one), men's indoor track and field (one), women's outdoor track and field (two times), women's indoor track and field (one), wrestling (one), men's golf (two times), women's golf (thirteen times), softball (two times), and women's swimming and diving (seven times). These combine for a total of 133 team national championships. ASU also has numerous individual NCAA national champions in different sports. Additionally, the baseball team has appeared in the College World Series 22 times, the men's basketball team has participated in 13 NCAA tournaments, including 3 Elite Eight appearances, and the ASU football team won the Rose Bowl in 1987 and the Fiesta Bowl in 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1982.

ASU won national championships in men's archery 15 times, women's archery 21 times, mixed archery 20 times, men's badminton 13 times, women's badminton 17 times and mixed badminton 10 times, all which are not recognized by the NCAA.

Football
The Sun Devils played in the Border Conference between 1931 and 1961, before joining the Western Athletic Conference. Led by legendary head coach Frank Kush, the Sun Devils posted a remarkable 62–9 record between 1970 and 1975, culminating in a 17–14 upset of the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 1975 Fiesta Bowl.

In 1978, both ASU and the University of Arizona joined the Pacific-8 Conference, causing the conference to become the Pacific-10 (which grew again in 2011 to become the Pacific-12). The Sun Devils suffered some down years due to a number of head coaching changes, but were still able to make it to the 1983 Fiesta Bowl and 1987 Rose Bowl winning both.

After the 2006 season, Dirk Koetter was fired after six seasons, and on December 6, 2006, athletic director Lisa Love hired Dennis Erickson to become the head coach at ASU. Erickson, in his first year as coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils, led the team to 10 wins, a share of the Pac-10 title with USC, and the Holiday Bowl against the University of Texas Longhorns. Dennis Erickson was fired on November 28, 2011 after five seasons with the Sun Devils. He was replaced by coach Todd Graham on December 14, 2011. Lisa Love was fired from her position as Vice President for University Athletics and Athletics Director on March 28, 2012 and was immediately replaced by Steve Patterson.

In 2011 after 56 years, Sun Devils turn back to its original colour scheme from 1951-1954 with black helmets.

Notable football alumni include Terrell Suggs, Jim Jeffcoat, Mike Pagel, Jake Plummer, Todd Heap, J.R. Redmond, Danny White, Randall McDaniel, David Fulcher, Darren Woodson, Pat Tillman, Eric Allen, Zach Miller, Shaun McDonald, John Jefferson, Paul Justin, Jimmy Verdon, Mike Haynes, Al Harris and Ryan Torain.

Men's Basketball
The Arizona State Sun Devils have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 13 times, including 3 Elite Eights (1961, 1963, 1975). They have won 8 conference championships (4 WAC and 4 BOR) and finished in the final AP rankings 7 times. The highest national ranking the Sun Devils have achieved was #3 under Ned Wulk during the 1980–81 season when the starting lineup included Byron Scott, Fat Lever, and Alton Lister. Ned Wulk was the men's basketball coach from 1958 to 1982 and remains the most successful coach in the history of the program with a record of 406 – 272 (.599).

Arizona State appeared in the NAIA Men's Basketball National Tournament two years (1948 and 1953). Both years losing in the second round, leaving the NAIA with a tournament record of 2–2.

Herb Sendek is the current head coach of the Sun Devils. Sendek stepped down as head coach of the North Carolina State Wolfpack and accepted the head coaching job at Arizona State in 2006. Sendek took the Wolfpack to five consecutive NCAA Tournaments and also won ACC coach of the year in 2004. Sendek was credited for bringing a "basketball atmosphere" and level of excitement to the ASU campus that had been absent for years. In his first four seasons at ASU, Sendek led the Sun Devils to three consecutive 20 win seasons, the 2009 Pac-10 conference tournament finals, and the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Thirty-six ASU Sun Devils have been selected in the NBA Draft, including James Harden, Byron Scott, Isaac Austin, Lafayette Lever, Alton Lister, Lionel Hollins, Sam Williams, Jeff Pendergraph, Stevin "Hedake" Smith, Mario Bennett, Tommy Smith, Ike Diogu, Eddie House. Freddie Lewis, and Joe Caldwell. Paul Stovall was a Charles Barkley type standout but his non-conducive personality and actions precluded his notoriety.

Baseball


ASU has one of the most successful baseball programs in the country. The Sun Devils have won five national championships (1965, 1967, 1969, 1977, 1981), the fourth most by any school, and have the third most College World Series victories with 61.

ASU baseball has won 21 conference championships (including four consecutive Pac-10 titles from 2007–2010) and reached the College World Series 22 times. The Sun Devils have also reached the NCAA tournament 34 times, most recently in 2011.

Starting with Rick Monday as the #1 pick of the first ever Major League Baseball draft in '65, ASU leads all schools with 368 total picks. ASU also has the third most alumni to ever play in Major League Baseball. Notable baseball alumni include Barry Bonds, Paul Lo Duca, Fernando Viña, Dustin Pedroia, Mike Leake, Andre Ethier, Willie Bloomquist, Bob Horner, Sal Bando, Ike Davis, Jason Kipnis, Brett Wallace, Ian Kinsler, Hubie Brooks, and Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson.

Gymnastics
Led by 30+ year legendary coach John Spini, the Sun Devils Gymnastics team has had many fine dominating years in his reign with many all American Gymnasts to Spinis credit as well as a first class facility named after Coach John Spini who has been the face of the Girls program as he continues to recruit great gymnasts from around the country. Below is the history of top qualifiers coach has had as well as his predecessors at ASU.

Listed by YEAR,       DUAL CONF.,    NAT'L and HEAD COACH. 1995-96 8-4 2nd DNQ John Spini 1994-95 10-4 2nd DNQ John Spini 1993-94 13-4 3rd 10th John Spini 1992-93 12-2 4th 12th John Spini 1991-92 10-5 4th 7th John Spini 1990-91 13-8 4th 9th John Spini 1989-90 8-6-1 3rd DNQ John Spini 1988-89 7-13 3rd 7thT John Spini 1987-88 13-7 2nd 8th John Spini 1986-87 11-7 4th 5th John Spini 1985-86 18-1 1st 2nd John Spini 1984-85 20-2 1st 2nd John Spini 1983-84 19-4 2nd 4th John Spini 1982-83 20-1 1st 2nd John Spini 1981-82 10-3 1st 5th John Spini 1980-81 9-1 3rd 5th John Spini 1979-80 22-6 2nd 9th Marie Bilski 1978-79 7-9 2nd DNC Marie Bilski 1977-78 12-5 1st 7th Marie Bilski 1976-77 9-2 1st 7th Marie Bilski 1975-76 10-2 1st 6th Monique Sublette Arizona State Women's Gymnastics

Softball
One of the nation's founding programs, the two-time NCAA national champion Sun Devils are in their 45th season on the diamond. ASU has recorded twenty-seven seasons of 30 or more wins and twelve with 40 or more, including an all-time high of 66 wins in 2008. The Sun Devils have appeared in 23 NCAA tournaments (33 postseason bids overall) and have made nine trips to the Women's College World Series. Prior to the current NCAA format, ASU went to seven WCWS, claiming back-to-back national tiles in 1972 and 1973. Arizona State's storied tradition of softball excellence continues to flourish under head coach Clint Myers, who has led the Sun Devils to two NCAA national championships. Myers joined Linda Vollstedt (women’s golf – 7), Greg Kraft (women’s track & field indoor – 2, women’s track & field outdoor – 1, men’s indoor track & field – 1), Bobby Winkles (baseball – 3) and Jim Brock (baseball – 2) as Sun Devil coaches with more than one NCAA title.

The Sun Devils capped off the 2008 season with their first WCWS NCAA national championship on June 3, 2008. Kaitlin Cochran hit a three-run home run, Katie Burkhart pitched a four-hitter and Arizona State routed Texas A&M 11–0 to win the title. Cochran slammed the first pitch from Megan Gibson over the left field fence in the fifth inning to give the sixth-seeded Sun Devils a 4–0 lead in the fifth inning. The margin ended up matching the second-most lopsided game in Women's College World Series history.

On June 7, 2011, the Sun Devils captured their second NCAA national championship by defeating the Florida Gators. ASU pitcher, Dallas Escobedo, became the first freshman pitcher to lead a team to the NCAA title since 1990.

Golf
Notable golf alumni include Phil Mickelson, Billy Mayfair, Paul Casey, Bob Gilder, Howard Twitty, Tom Purtzer, Jeff Quinney, Matt Jones, Chez Reavie, Grace Park, Heather Farr, Anna Nordqvist, Wendy Ward, Azahara Muñoz and Giulia Molinaro.

Wrestling
ASU has had a very successful wrestling team. The Sun Devils have captured one NCAA team national championship (1988), eight individual championships, and 100 total All American honors. Notable alumni include several MMA stars, such as Dan Severn, Don Frye, Cain Velasquez, Ryan Bader, Aaron Simpson, Dan Henderson, Clifford Starks and C.B. Dollaway.

Eight Sun Devils have participated in the Olympic games, most recently in the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta. There have been two silver medalists; Zeke Jones and Townsend Saunders.

Six Sun Devils have participated in the World Championships of Wrestling since 1985 (a total of 16 entries). those wrestlers placed in the top 10 a total of ten times, including Zeke Jones, the 1991 champion at 114.5 pounds.

During the 1992–1993 season ASU set a Pacific-10 Conference record for most points in a championship meet.

On May 13, 2008, the university announced it will drop the sport of Wrestling as well as Men's Tennis and Men's Swimming to save more than $1 million in operational costs. Just 10 days after the announcement to drop three sports, Arizona State announced it was reinstating the varsity wrestling program. The announcement came as local and civic sponsorship was announced as the reason to bring the sport back.

Rugby
Founded in 1975, the Arizona State University Men's Rugby Team plays college rugby in the Division 1 PAC Rugby Conference, where its rivals include Pac-12 foes such Arizona and UCLA. With 98 registered players, Arizona State was ranked as the largest college rugby program in the United States in 2009. Arizona State has been led by head coach Gary Lane since 2001. Arizona State is regularly ranked in the Top 25 in the country. Arizona State's rugby sevens program has been successful in the Collegiate Rugby Championship, the highest profile college rugby tournament in the country, where they finished tenth in the 2010 tournament.

National championships
Arizona State has 23 NCAA team national championships:


 * Baseball (5)
 * 1965, 1967, 1969, 1977, 1981
 * Men's Golf (2)
 * 1990, 1996
 * Men's Gymnastics (1)
 * 1986
 * Men's Indoor Track and Field (1)
 * 2008
 * Men's Outdoor Track and Field (1)
 * 1977
 * Wrestling (1)
 * 1988
 * Women's Golf (7)
 * 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2009
 * Women's Indoor Track and Field (2)
 * 2007, 2008
 * Women's Outdoor Track and Field (1)
 * 2007
 * Softball (2)
 * 2008, 2011

Rivalries
A strong academic and athletic rivalry exists between the University of Arizona and Arizona State University. Arizona leads the all-time record against ASU in men's basketball 139–79 as of January 2010.

Arizona State University fields the more accomplished baseball team with five College World Series national championships (1965, 1967, 1969, 1977 and 1981). As of May 2010, the schools have met 432 times on the baseball diamond, dating back over 100 years to the first contest in 1907. Arizona, recognizing victories against club teams (ASU did not adopt varsity baseball until 1959) claims the all-time series 233–198–1. ASU, recognizing only varsity baseball competition (beginning in 1959), claims a 179–115 edge in the all-time series (as of May 2010).

The annual football rivalry game between the two schools is known as "The Duel in the Desert." It is one of the most heated rivalries in college football. The University of Arizona has the all-time series lead with a record of 46–37–1 dating back to the time when ASU was the Tempe Normal Owls and Teacher's College Bulldogs. The school adopted the moniker, the Sun Devils, on November 20, 1946. Since Arizona State became a university in 1958, the Sun Devils lead the rivalry series over the University of Arizona Wildcats by a record of 29–23–1. The trophy awarded after each game, the Territorial Cup, is one of the nation's oldest rivalry trophies. It is currently held by Arizona State.

In 2009, State Farm introduced the sponsored "State Farm Territorial Cup" for the two schools. Arizona won the inaugural season of the series 10.5 points to 7.5.

The ASU wrestling team has been dominant over the UA Wildcats with a record of 28–8 all time. The University of Arizona no longer has a wrestling program.

ASU athletic facilities
Mona Plummer Aquatic Center
 * The Mona Plummer Aquatic Center, located on the campus of Arizona State University, is regarded as one of the country's finest outdoor swimming and diving facilities.

Karsten Golf Course
 * At the ASU Karsten Golf Course, challenge is inherent. Many touring professionals have honed their skills on the fairways and greens of this classic Pete Dye, Scottish links course. The course is home to the ASU Golf Program, which turns out winning teams year after year.

Packard Stadium
 * Packard Stadium, the home of Arizona State baseball since 1974, is one of the nation's most beautiful ballparks. The outfield wall is lined with orange trees and just beyond the left field fence lies the Salt River which winds its way through the Valley of the Sun. The field is named in honor of College Baseball Hall of Fame coach Bobby Winkles. In 2006, Bobby Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark was dedicated to the memory of another College Baseball Hall of Fame coach Jim Brock.

Sun Devil Soccer Stadium
 * On April 1, 2000, Arizona State University unveiled the latest amenity in its sports facilities, the Soccer Stadium. The Soccer Stadium features chair-back bleachers and individual seats with a capacity for 1,051 fans.

Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium
 * On April 8, 2000, Arizona State University unveiled the Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium. It is the latest amenity among the sports facilities of Sun Devil Athletics. Farrington Stadium features chair-back bleachers and individual seats with a capacity for 1,535 fans.

Sun Angel Stadium, Joe Selleh Track
 * Arizona State University's men's and women's track and field teams compete at Sun Angel Stadium/Joe Selleh Track, which opened in 1976. The stadium was completed in 1975 at an estimated cost of $3 million.

Sun Devil Stadium
 * Arizona State University's Sun Devil Stadium has played host to football games for more than four decades. On September 21, 1996, the school held Frank Kush Day and announced that the playing field at Sun Devil Stadium would be named "Frank Kush Field" in his honor.

Wells Fargo Arena
 * Wells Fargo Arena is the home for Sun Devil men's and women's basketball as well as volleyball, gymnastics and wrestling. Constructed in the spring of 1974, the 14,198-seat facility also plays host to graduation ceremonies and a variety of concerts and shows.

Whiteman Tennis Center
 * The Whiteman Tennis Center serves as the home to Arizona State's nationally ranked women's tennis teams. The original complex was dedicated May 8, 1976. It featured eight fully lit asphalt-based courts with a seating capacity of 1,200.