Nov 30, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) holds the Territorial Cup alongside Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham at the end of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

The Case For Arizona State-Arizona Rivalry Being Among Best

Originally posted on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI
By Kevin Hicks | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 12:00 PM ET

Kenny Dillingham and the Arizona State football program are receiving substantial recognition ahead of a new season where the team will look to repeat what the 11-win squad a year ago was able to accomplish.

While the program is in the spotlight more than it had been for years, not everyone is buying into it from different vantage points.

One of those is the Sun Devils' rivalry with the Arizona Wildcats - or the Territorial Cup.

The oldest rivalry featuring a trophy in America - the first game between the teams was played in 1899 - has been omitted from the top 25 list according to Scott Dochterman of the Athletic.

Rivalries such as Harvard vs. Yale, Michigan vs. Wisconsin, and Oklahoma-Oklahoma State were included over the bitter in-state showdown.

It would be understandable to place Arizona-Arizona State in the 15-25 range due to a general lack of high-stakes games being played between the two teams, but it doesn't feel right at all to completely leave the Duel in the Desert completely out of that range.

Before kickoff, college football rivalries bring families, friends and colleagues closer together. The outcome instantly divides those same people.

But which ones rise above the rest in the nation? pic.twitter.com/Y76gDXpzrm
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 7, 2025

First off, there are mant secondary rivalries that are being placed over the Sun Devils and Wildcats. Texas-Texas A&M hadn't even played for over a decade since the Aggies left to the SEC in 2012. Michigan-Michigan State is a secondary rivalry for the Wolverines, even if it is still high intensity.

Yale-Harvard is a special matchup in the history of the sport, but the magnitude of it doesn't touch that of what the Sun Devils and Wildcats do. Ditto for USC-UCLA - that is certainly a high-intensity matchup yearly, but it doesn't quite match-up with the in-state battle in Arizona.

Even in years where the Arizona State-Arizona game doesn't hold high magnitude, the tension can be felt in the air the entire week in both Tempe and Tucson. This is one of the rare rivalries where there is no other reason for the two sides to dislike each other other than out of pure, unbridled disdain for the opposing city.

The rivarly will be re-ignited in Tempe on November 28 this year - Arizona State will seek to win a second consecutive meeting.

Read more on the five Sun Devils that were selected for the Preseason All-Big 12 team here, and take a look at the new Arizona State uniforms for the 2025 season here.

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

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