61 Days Until Kansas Football – Big 12 Expansion Primer: Arizona State

A look at the Sun Devils as they join the conference for the first time in 2024.

Nov 25, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Shamari Simmons (7) tackles Arizona Wildcats running back Rayshon Luke (21) in the first half of the Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Big 12 is now at 16 teams in 2024 as conference realignment goes into effect again. Texas and Oklahoma are out while Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, and Colorado are in. 

Like we did two years ago when BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, and Houston joined the league, let’s get ready for the upcoming season with an introductory primer on the newest Big 12 members. And we’re starting with Arizona State. 

University Overview

Location:  Tempe, Arizona

School Type: Public

Year Founded: 1885

Undergrad Enrollment (Tempe Location): 57,144

Football History 

It’s been a tough last couple of years for the Sun Devils, but there’s quite a bit of rich football history in Tempe (even more so than its counterpart, which we’ll get to in a few weeks). 

Arizona State has been playing football for 90 seasons, amassing an overall record of 592-381-18 and has won 17 conference championships while making 33 bowl games. ASU was consistently solid in the 1960s and then jumped a level in the 70s, all under coach Frank Kush. The Sun Devils didn’t have a single losing season from 1960-75, and in those final six years, ASU went a combined 62-9 while winning the Fiesta Bowl four times and the Peach Bowl once. 

There have been a few double-digit-win seasons since then spattered around a lull in the 90s. Most recently, while Herm Edwards had some bowl appearances, the best mark of the 2000s came in 2013 and 2014 when ASU went 10-4 and then 10-3 in back-to-back years.   

Football in 2023

Arizona State started a new era last season with the first year under head coach Kenny Dillingham. Herm Edwards was fired three games into the 2022 season and after interim Shaun Aguano went 2-7 to finish the season, Dillingham was brought over from Oregon, where he was the offensive coordinator. 

Dillingham led the Sun Devils to a 3-9 record and the numbers weren’t good, but it was a roster that largely wasn’t his and ASU still showed some fight. Arizona State won two games in the Pac 12 (Washington State and UCLA) and lost by a single score in three straight games against Cal and Colorado (both by three points), and then Washington (15-7). 

Kansas fans can understand that the results of the first season aren’t a great representation of what’s to come for a coach. 

Why They Were Chosen

The obvious answer for all of these – in any conference realignment situation – is money and survival. So, just consider that factored in moving forward and we don’t have to repeat it each time. Along with the belief that ASU and Arizona were a package deal, there are other reasons why it makes sense for the Big 12. 

First off, geography is important. This gets the conference into the southwest and a big recruiting area in Arizona (as Kansas has discovered). But it’s still the Mountain time zone, along with the other three new schools, so it won’t be too much of a burden when it comes to game times. As mentioned above, ASU has a massive student and alumni base, and while it is down right now, its football history is nothing to laugh at.