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Arizona–Arizona State football rivalry
First contestedNovember 30, 1899
Arizona State, 11–2[1]
Number of meetings92
Most recent meetingNovember 24, 2018 (at Tucson)
Arizona State, 41–40
Next meetingNovember 29, 2019 (at Tempe)
All-time seriesArizona leads, .538
Largest victoryArizona, 67–0 (1946)
Longest win streakArizona, 11 (1932–1948)
Current streakArizona State, 2 (2017–present)

The Arizona–Arizona State football rivalry, sometimes known as the Duel in the Desert, is a college football rivalry between the University of Arizona Wildcats and the Arizona State University Sun Devils.

One of the longest football rivalries, the winner receives the Territorial Cup, created Template:Years or months ago for the 1899 champion between schools in Arizona and which the NCAA has certified as the oldest rivalry trophy in college football.[2] While the Territorial Cup did not change hands as a regular part of the competition until 2001, the rivalry between the two schools continued after 1899, a semi-regular event until becoming an annual event from 1946 onwards. It is part of the wider Arizona–Arizona State rivalry, which crosses 20 varsity intercollegiate sports.

History[]

The rivalry dates to 1899 in the Arizona Territory, when the University of Arizona in Tucson played the Normal School of Arizona of Tempe – which later evolved into Arizona State University[3] – as part of the Arizona Territorial Football League Championship. (Arizona achieved statehood in 1912.)

The championship was a four-way series that also included Phoenix Union High School and Phoenix Indian School. Arizona and the Normal School met on November 30, 1899 for a Thanksgiving Day match at Carrillo Gardens in Tucson.[4] Contemporary newspaper stories indicate that this was the first game for the University squad, while the Normal team was comparatively more experienced and better trained. The event drew 300 enthusiastic fans and was followed by a post-game Thanksgiving celebration for both teams hosted by the University. The "Normals", as they were called, won the game 11–2; as they had previously defeated the other schools, they were declared champions and received the Territorial Cup.[5]

The two teams 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 rivalry became particularly heated in the late 1950s amid the political contention over turning Arizona State College into an official university, a change opposed by the University of Arizona and many of its alumni. In 1958, the year the measure was to be put to a statewide vote, Arizona State defeated Arizona 47–0. The blowout win was a major point of pride for Arizona State, which became a university later that year.[6]

Another notably heated game came 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"; Arizona proceeded to lose the 1968 Sun Bowl 34–10 to the Auburn Tigers. The events led to the creation of the Fiesta Bowl as a default bowl for Arizona State should they receive no other bids; it went on to become part of the highly lucrative Bowl Championship Series[6] and is now part of the College Football Playoff system.

In the modern era of the game, it has often been played on the day after Thanksgiving. It has most recently been scheduled for the Saturday after Thanksgiving to accommodate network television coverage. Starting with the 2009-2010 school year, State Farm became the presenting sponsor for the State Farm Territorial Cup Series. This series encompasses each of the 20 varsity intercollegiate sports that Arizona and Arizona State compete head to head in. Each sport is worth 1 point in the year-long competition. While no longer officially sponsored by State Farm, media outlets[7] and both universities[8][9] continue to track and promote the rivalry series.

Territorial Cup[]

In 1899, and continuously since 2001, each year's winner receives the Territorial Cup, a traveling trophy. The trophy was originally used in 1899 for the series that involved the teams' first ever meeting. As the Normal School won all three of its games, it was declared champion and awarded the trophy.[10] The cup's name refers to the fact that Arizona was a U.S. territory at the time; it became a state in 1912.

After the tournament the trophy's whereabouts were unknown until 1980 when it was rediscovered in the basement of a church adjacent to Arizona State's campus. The cup was put on display in the Alumni Association headquarters and then the University Archives.[11] It was later authenticated as the original cup by the NCAA, making it the oldest rivalry game trophy in college football.[2]

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. Coor and then UA President Peter Likins signed a protocol governing the cup's use and care. Each year the tradition is celebrated at a pre-game reception for boosters. A replica version was also made and is the trophy presented to the winner after the game.[11][12]

The cup is silver plate over Britannia base metal and was manufactured by Reed and Barton of Taunton, Massachusetts. It was a standard style priced at $20 ($462.05 in 2010 dollars) in Reed and Barton's 1910 catalog. The inscription reads "Arizona Foot Ball League Championship 1899 Normal".[12]

Series history[]

Arizona leads the series 49–42–1, which includes a 20–2 start for Arizona from 1899 to 1948. Arizona State University was previously known as the Normal School of Arizona (1899–1901), Tempe Normal School (1901–25), Tempe State Teacher's College (1925–28), Arizona State Teacher's College (1928–45), and Arizona State College (1945–58).[3][13] Arizona State did not come under the control and patronage of the state's Board of Regents until 1945 and the teams did not play each other every year until 1946. Since the game became an annual affair, ASU leads the series 40-32-1.

Since becoming a university in 1958, ASU leads the series 33-26-1. Since both teams moved from the Western Athletic Conference to the Pac-10 Conference (now the Pac-12) in 1978, Arizona leads the series 21–19–1.Template:CN

Both teams hired new coaches prior to the 2012 season. Under Coach Todd Graham, ASU posted a 4–2 record against Arizona under Coach Rich Rodriguez. Coach Graham and Coach Rodriguez were both fired following the 2017 season.

Starting in 2018, the rivalry matches ASU Head Coach Herm Edwards against Arizona Head Coach Kevin Sumlin. Coach Edwards got the better of Coach Sumlin in their inaugural game, with ASU mounting the biggest comeback in Territorial Cup history,[14] coming from 19 points behind in the 4th quarter for a 41–40 win in Tucson on November 24, 2018, in the latest installment of the Territorial Cup.

Game results[]

Arizona victoriesArizona State victoriesTie games
No.DateLocationWinning teamLosing team
1 1899 Tucson Normal School of Arizona 11 Arizona 2
2 1902 Tucson Arizona 12 Arizona State 0
3 1914 Tucson Arizona 34 Arizona State 0
4 1915 Tucson Arizona 7 Arizona State 0
5 1919 Tucson Arizona 59 Arizona State 0
6 1925 Tucson Arizona 13 Arizona State 3
7 1926 Tucson Arizona 35 Arizona State 0
8 1928 Tucson Arizona 39 Arizona State 0
9 1929 Tucson Arizona 26 Arizona State 0
10 1930 Tucson Arizona 6 Arizona State 0
11 1931 Tempe Arizona State 19 Arizona 6
12 1932 Tucson Arizona 20 Arizona State 6
13 1933 Tempe Arizona 26 Arizona State 7
14 1934 Tucson Arizona 32 Arizona State 6
15 1935 Tucson Arizona 26 Arizona State 0
16 1936 Tempe Arizona 18 Arizona State 0
17 1937 Tucson Arizona 20 Arizona State 6
18 1941 Tempe Arizona 20 Arizona State 7
19 1942 Tempe Arizona 23 Arizona State 0
20 1946 Tucson Arizona 67 Arizona State 0
21 1947 Tempe Arizona 26 Arizona State 13
22 1948 Tucson Arizona 33 Arizona State 21
23 1949 Tempe Arizona State 34 Arizona 7
24 1950 Tucson Arizona State 47 Arizona 13
25 1951 Tempe Arizona State 61 Arizona 14
26 1952 Tucson Arizona State 20 Arizona 18
27 1953 Tempe Arizona 35 Arizona State 0
28 1954 Tucson Arizona 54 Arizona State 14
29 1955 Tempe Arizona 7 Arizona State 6
30 1956 Tucson Arizona State 20 Arizona 0
31 1957 Tempe #11 Arizona State 47 Arizona 7
32 1958 Tucson Arizona State 47 Arizona 0
33 1959 Tempe Arizona State 15 Arizona 9
34 1960 Tucson Arizona 35 Arizona State 7
35 1961 Tempe Arizona 22 Arizona State 13
36 1962 Tucson Arizona 20 Arizona State 17
37 1963 Tempe Arizona State 35 Arizona 6
38 1964 Tucson Arizona 30 Arizona State 6
39 1965 Tempe Arizona State 14 Arizona 6
40 1966 Tucson Arizona State 20 Arizona 17
41 1967 Tempe Arizona State 47 Arizona 7
42 1968 Tucson #20 Arizona State 30 #19 Arizona 7
43 1969 Tempe Arizona State 38 Arizona 24
44 1970 Tucson #9 Arizona State 10 Arizona 6
45 1971 Tempe #9 Arizona State 31 Arizona 0
46 1972 Tucson #18 Arizona State 38 Arizona 21
47 1973 Tempe #13 Arizona State 55 Arizona 19
No.DateLocationWinning teamLosing team
48 1974 Tucson Arizona 10 Arizona State 0
49 1975 Tempe #8 Arizona State 24 #12 Arizona 21
50 1976 Tucson Arizona State 27 Arizona 10
51 1977 Tempe #19 Arizona State 23 Arizona 7
52 1978 Tucson Arizona State 18 Arizona 17
53 1979 Tempe Arizona 27 Arizona State 24
54 1980 Tucson Arizona State 44 Arizona 7
55 1981 Tempe #18 Arizona State 24 Arizona 13
56 1982 Tucson Arizona 28 #6 Arizona State 18
57 1983 Tempe Arizona 17 Arizona State 15
58 1984 Tucson Arizona 16 Arizona State 10
59 1985 Tempe Arizona 16 Arizona State 13
60 1986 Tucson #14 Arizona 34 #4 Arizona State 17
61 1987 Tempe Tie24Tie24
62 1988 Tucson Arizona 28 Arizona State 18
63 1989 Tempe Arizona 28 Arizona State 10
64 1990 Tucson Arizona 21 Arizona State 17
65 1991 Tempe Arizona State 37 Arizona 14
66 1992 Tucson Arizona State 7 #16 Arizona 6
67 1993 Tempe #19 Arizona 34 Arizona State 20
68 1994 Tucson #16 Arizona 28 Arizona State 27
69 1995 Tempe Arizona 31 Arizona State 28
70 1996 Tucson #4 Arizona State 56 Arizona 14
71 1997 Tempe Arizona 28 #12 Arizona State 16
72 1998 Tucson #7 Arizona 50 Arizona State 42
73 1999 Tempe Arizona State 42 Arizona 27
74 2000 Tucson Arizona State 30 Arizona 17
75 2001 Tempe Arizona 34 Arizona State 21
76 2002 Tucson Arizona State 34 Arizona 20
77 2003 Tempe Arizona State 28 Arizona 7
78 2004 Tucson Arizona 34 #18 Arizona State 27
79 2005 Tempe Arizona State 23 Arizona 20
80 2006 Tucson Arizona State 28 Arizona 14
81 2007 Tempe #13 Arizona State 20 Arizona 17
82 2008 Tucson Arizona 31 Arizona State 10
83 2009 Tempe Arizona 20 Arizona State 17
84 2010 Tucson Arizona State 30 Arizona 29
85 2011 Tempe Arizona 31 Arizona State 27
86 2012 Tucson Arizona State 41 Arizona 34
87 2013 Tempe #13 Arizona State 58 Arizona 21
88 2014 Tucson #12 Arizona 42 #13 Arizona State 35
89 2015 Tempe Arizona State 52 Arizona 37
90 2016 Tucson Arizona 56 Arizona State 35
91 2017 Tempe Arizona State 42 Arizona 30
92 2018 Tucson Arizona State 41 Arizona 40
93 2019 Tempe
Series: Arizona leads 49–42–1

Basketball[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-09-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20100930093903/http://www.tempe.gov/museum/football/fbasuua.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-02., http://www.tempe.gov/museum/football/fbasuua.htm .
  2. 2.0 2.1 "History of the Territorial Rivalry Trophy between Arizona and Arizona State". Yahoo News. October 29, 2010. https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ac-7049930. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Tempe Normal School Records, 1885-1930 MSS-149". Arizona Archives Online. 2014. http://www.azarchivesonline.org/xtf/view?docId=ead/asu/tnsrec.xml. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  4. "A way-too-early, game-by-game look at Arizona's 2019 football season". Arizona Daily Star. 4 December 2018. https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcats/football/a-way-too-early-game-by-game-look-at-arizona/collection_7900325a-f808-11e8-a929-cb2b2dc7cad4.html.
  5. "History" Archived 2010-02-17 at the Wayback Machine, territorialcupseries.com. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Rappoport, Ken; Wilner, Barry (2007). Football Feuds: The Greatest College Football Rivalries. Globe Pequot. pp. 183–185. ISBN 1599210142. https://books.google.com/books?id=jpehWR53e7AC&pg=PA184&dq=%22Duel+in+the+Desert%22+arizona&hl=en&sa=X&ei=v4mCUsvhEZSt4APr-YAI&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22Duel%20in%20the%20Desert%22%20arizona&f=false. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  7. http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/asu/2017/05/15/asu-clinches-fourth-consecutive-territorial-cup-series-undisputed-title/321981001/?cookies=&from=global
  8. http://www.arizonawildcats.com/news/2017/3/1/wildcat-wednesday.aspx
  9. http://www.thesundevils.com/news/2017/5/14/general-sun-devils-claim-fourth-straight-territorial-cup-series-title.aspx
  10. [1], http://lib.asu.edu/librarychannel/2007/11/27/the-arizona-territorial-cup/.
  11. 11.0 11.1 "Out of Bounds: History of the Territorial Cup". statepress.com. http://www.statepress.com/2013/02/11/out-of-bounds-history-of-the-territorial-cup/.
  12. 12.0 12.1 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20120305234208/http://www.territorialcupseries.com/genrel/trophy.html. Retrieved 2011-11-02., http://www.territorialcupseries.com/genrel/trophy.html.
  13. "The New ASU Story: Academic Programs". Arizona State University. 2001. http://www.asu.edu/lib/archives/asustory/acpro.htm. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  14. "ASU's comeback stuns Wildcats". abc15.com. abc15.com. November 24, 2018. https://www.abc15.com/sports/sports-blogs-local/asus-comeback-stuns-wildcats-3-big-takeaways-from-the-92nd-territorial-cup-game. Retrieved November 26, 2018.

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