Arizona State University fan Ed O'Brien, who has been a fan for over 40 years, takes a sip of water while watching practice from a hill on Aug. 7, 2024 at Camp Tontozona in Payson, Arizona. Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Rundown of Arizona State's Camp Tontozona

Originally posted on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI
By Kevin Hicks | Last updated Aug 4, 2025 2:00 PM ET

TEMPE -- Arizona State football is now set to enter week two of fall camp on Monday after a quartet of practices last week that generally yielded positive results.

Kenny Dillingham is set to hold a pair of practices today and Tuesday in Tempe before heading north for several days for the annual Camp Tontozona trek that was started by legendary head coach Frank Kush early on in his tenure.

A brief description of the history of the camp - and what will come of this year's trip up to Payson:

"As the clock ticks closer to the start of another season, Sun Devil Football heads up north to continue the tradition of toughness and hard work in the woods started by legendary Head Coach Frank Kush in 1959. This year, from Aug. 6-9, Head Coach Kenny Dillingham takes his defending Big 12 champion Sun Devils — Sam Leavitt, Jordyn Tyson, Xavion Alford and more — to Payson, Arizona, to prepare for the upcoming 2025 season.

On the annual scrimmage that caps the week off:

This year's annual public Maroon and Gold scrimmage takes place on Saturday, Aug. 9, starting at 9 a.m. Don't miss your chance to witness this one-of-a-kind experience and see Sun Devil Football up close and personal.

Ivan Pierre Aguirre-Imagn Images

This is not a major opportunity for players to separate themselves from competition in depth chart battles, but also an incredible opportunity to keep the fan-base engaged, help the team escape the heat of the Phoenix area, and continues to provide chances for the brotherhood to further develop within the locker room.

Previous examples of camp Tontozona playing a major role in determining where players stood on the depth chart include Taylor Kelly winning the starting QB job over Michael Eubank/Mike Bercovici in 2012, Jayden Daniels defeating Dillon Sterling-Cole/Joey Yellen in 2019, and Cam Skattebo securing the workhorse role at running back just two years ago.

This will be the last major event the Sun Devils have scheduled outside of normal practice times ahead of the season opening contest on August 30.

Read more on the case for Sam Leavitt to be an All-American selection at season's end here, and if Dillingham has any built-in recruiting advantages in his role here.

This article first appeared on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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