Arizona–Arizona State football rivalry

Arizona–Arizona State football rivalry

Teams	Arizona Wildcats Arizona State Sun Devils
Trophy	Territorial Cup

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. Though not one of the longest football rivalries, the winner receives the Territorial Cup, created for the 1899 champion between schools in Arizona and which the NCAA has certified as the oldest rivalry trophy in college football. 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

	Arizona	Arizona State
Location	Tucson	Tempe
Students	40,621	50,246
School Colors	Cardinal & Blue	Maroon & Gold
Mascot	Wildcats	Sun Devils
Football National Titles Arizona - 0 Arizona State - 0 Football Conference Championships Arizona - 6 (1935, 1936, 1941, 1964, 1973, 1993) Arizona State - 17 (1931, 1939, 1940, 1952, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1986, 1996, 2007)

The rivalry dates to 1899, when the University of Arizona in Tucson played the Normal School of Arizona in Tempe – which later evolved into Arizona State University – as part of the Arizona Territorial Football League Championship. 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 Field in Tucson. 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.

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.

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". 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 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. The school that wins the most head to head competitions is awarded the new Territorial Cup Series Trophy. Arizona State leads the Series at 4-3.

Territorial Cup

Main article: State Farm Territorial Cup Series

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. 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. It was later authenticated as the original cup by the NCAA, making it the oldest rivalry game trophy in college football.

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.

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".

Series history

Arizona leads the series 49–40–1, 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). 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 that time, Arizona State leads the series 38–32–1.

Similarly, since Arizona State became a university in 1958, Arizona State leads the series 32–26–1. Since both teams moved from the Western Athletic Conference to what is now the Pac-12, Arizona leads the series 21–17–1. Arizona won the latest match-up, defeating the Sun Devils 56-35 on November 25, 2016 in Tucson.

Game results

Arizona victories

Arizona State victories

Tie games

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
1	1899	Tucson	Normal School of Arizona	11–2
2	1902	Tucson	Arizona	12–0
3	1914	Tucson	Arizona	34–0
4	1915	Tucson	Arizona	7–0
5	1919	Tucson	Arizona	59–0
6	1925	Tucson	Arizona	13–3
7	1926	Tucson	Arizona	35–0
8	1928	Tucson	Arizona	39–0
9	1929	Tucson	Arizona	26–0
10	1930	Tucson	Arizona	6–0
11	1931	Tempe	Arizona State	19–6
12	1932	Tucson	Arizona	20–6
13	1933	Tempe	Arizona	26–7
14	1934	Tucson	Arizona	32–6
15	1935	Tucson	Arizona	26–0
16	1936	Tempe	Arizona	18–0
17	1937	Tucson	Arizona	20–6
18	1941	Tempe	Arizona	20–7
19	1942	Tempe	Arizona	23–0
20	1946	Tucson	Arizona	67–0
21	1947	Tempe	Arizona	26–13
22	1948	Tucson	Arizona	33–21
23	1949	Tempe	Arizona State	34–7
24	1950	Tucson	Arizona State	47–13
25	1951	Tempe	Arizona State	61–14
26	1952	Tucson	Arizona State	20–18
27	1953	Tempe	Arizona	35–0
28	1954	Tucson	Arizona	54–14
29	1955	Tempe	Arizona	7–6
30	1956	Tucson	Arizona State	20–0
31	1957	Tempe	Arizona State	47–7
32	1958	Tucson	Arizona State	47–0
33	1959	Tempe	Arizona State	15–9
34	1960	Tucson	Arizona	35–7
35	1961	Tempe	Arizona	22–13
36	1962	Tucson	Arizona	20–17
37	1963	Tempe	Arizona State	35–6
38	1964	Tucson	Arizona	30–6
39	1965	Tempe	Arizona State	14–6
40	1966	Tucson	Arizona State	20–17
41	1967	Tempe	Arizona State	47–7
42	1968	Tucson	Arizona State	30–7
43	1969	Tempe	Arizona State	38–24
44	1970	Tucson	#9 Arizona State	10–6
45	1971	Tempe	Arizona State	31–0
46	1972	Tucson	Arizona State	38–21

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
47	1973	Tempe	Arizona State	55–19
48	1974	Tucson	Arizona	10–0
49	1975	Tempe	#8 Arizona State	24–21
50	1976	Tucson	Arizona State	27–10
51	1977	Tempe	Arizona State	23–7
52	1978	Tucson	Arizona State	18–17
53	1979	Tempe	Arizona	27–24
54	1980	Tucson	Arizona State	44–7
55	1981	Tempe	Arizona State	24–13
56	1982	Tucson	Arizona	28–18
57	1983	Tempe	Arizona	17–15
58	1984	Tucson	Arizona	16–10
59	1985	Tempe	Arizona	16–13
60	1986	Tucson	#14 Arizona	34–17
61	1987	Tempe	Tie	24–24
62	1988	Tucson	Arizona	28–18
63	1989	Tempe	Arizona	28–10
64	1990	Tucson	Arizona	21–17
65	1991	Tempe	Arizona State	37–14
66	1992	Tucson	Arizona State	7–6
67	1993	Tempe	Arizona	34–20
68	1994	Tucson	Arizona	28–27
69	1995	Tempe	Arizona	31–28
70	1996	Tucson	#4 Arizona State	56–14
71	1997	Tempe	Arizona	28–16
72	1998	Tucson	#7 Arizona	50–42
73	1999	Tempe	Arizona State	42–27
74	2000	Tucson	Arizona State	30–17
75	2001	Tempe	Arizona	34–21
76	2002	Tucson	Arizona State	34–20
77	2003	Tempe	Arizona State	28–7
78	2004	Tucson	Arizona	34–27
79	2005	Tempe	Arizona State	23–20
80	2006	Tucson	Arizona State	28–14
81	2007	Tempe	#13 Arizona State	20–17
82	2008	Tucson	Arizona	31–10
83	2009	Tempe	Arizona	20–17
84	2010	Tucson	Arizona State	30–29
85	2011	Tempe	Arizona	31–27
86	2012	Tucson	Arizona State	41–34
87	2013	Tempe	#12 Arizona State	58–21
88	2014	Tucson	#11 Arizona	42–35
89	2015	Tempe	Arizona State	52–37
90	2016	Tucson	Arizona	56–35
Series: Arizona leads 49–40–1

Basketball

Main articles: Arizona–Arizona State men's basketball rivalry and Territorial Cup

See also

• State Farm Territorial Cup Series