Is Arizona/Arizona State Rivalry Best in CFB?

The yearly battle remains one of the strongest rival duels in the country despite the recent struggles from Arizona.

Three reasons why the Territorial Cup battle belongs in the upper echelon of college football rivalries:

Oldest Rivalry

The Territorial Cup has been in existence since 1899 - making the battle between rivals the oldest one with a trophy involved.

This doesn't necessarily make the battle the best - but it does make it the most historic. The two programs have been at odds since Arizona State was named Tempe Normal School - that puts much into perspective.

As Intense as Any Other Rivalry

This is obviously subjective, but those who are fans of the respective programs would argue that there is as much pure, unbridled malcontent for each side as other top rivalries such as Utah-BYU and Alabama-Auburn.

The two schools, the respective fanbases, and the players simply have distate for each other that can't be explained in any other manner than the schools being located in two major cities within the same state.

Frequent Classic Endings

The classic endings haven't been a major part of the 2020's matchups - but there were several in the preceding decade.

From Arizona State's 41-40 comeback victory in 2018, to Arizona's 42-35 victory to seal the Pac-12 South division title, to the Sun Devils' 30-29 victory in 2010 off of a blocked extra point, there hasn't been a shortage of unbelievable finishes in the series.

Arizona State should go into this season's meeting in Tempe considered major favorites to win a second game in a row, but the game must be played nonetheless.

Read more about Arizona State's efforts to dominate the recruiting trail in-state here.

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