Aug 30, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Sparky the Sun Devil takes the field pregame between Arizona State Sun Devils and Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

The Christmas Gifts ASU Football Has Given Fans

Originally posted on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI
By Tanner Cappellini | Last updated Dec 25, 2025 2:00 PM ET

With it being the holiday season, it is a time to reflect on the good times of the year. ASU Football has a lot of them from the past year, from games to players to culture; there is a lot to love for ASU Football that can translate to the future.

High Caliber NFL Players

For a while, it seemed during Draft Season, Sun Devil. The players were not really involved. Sure, there were some players like Brandon Aiyuk, who was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2020. However, this year and last year, Sun Devils who been more involved with the draft. Last year, ASU running back Cam Skattebo went in round 4. For this draft, receiver Jordyn Tyson is expected to be a top ten pick.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

When it comes to better offensive players in this draft, Tyson is up there in conversation for many. It is a true gift to see an ASU player at the top of draft conversations and for so many to have Tyson's respect. Besides Tyson, Keith Abney II is also a player who a lot of people like in Round 2 of the draft. If Abney II crushes the combine, an event NFL teams love, he could go even in Round 1.

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Coach Dillingham Staying

There were rumors swirling around that Coach Dillingham could leave to coach another college, such as LSU or Penn State. However, Sun Devils have recently received the excellent news that Coach Dillingham is not leaving ASU anytime soon.

Kenny Dillingham has signed a new contract at Arizona State, which will average $7.5 million over the course of the deal. The staff salary pool is up to $11 million, which puts it near the top of the Big 12, sources told @PeteThamel. pic.twitter.com/41yBnCiqLp
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 20, 2025

Dillingham has been nothing but an absolutely fantastic pillar of success for the Sun Devils. Not only on the field, as he has had fantastic wins, but off the field, too. Dillingham is awesome with the media and is always propping up his teammates and other coaches. Dillingham is the gift that keeps on giving.

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A Competitive Culture

Speaking of Dillingham, one thing that he has done is establish a competitive culture. There are many fantastic examples of this, whether it be winning the Big 12 Championship last year against the Iowa State Cyclones in a dominant fashion. This year, ASU has had some Big 12 wins, such as the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Baylor Bears, and the TCU Horned Frogs.

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Fantastic Atmosphere

The fact that every ASU home game was sold out this season is amazing. That is somewhat rare and shows that not only do the Sun Devils have fantastic fans, but that the venue is great as well. ASU does a great job keeping up its facilities, a true gift for the fans.