Forged In The Arizona Sun: Road To CFB Visits An Arizona State Football Game Day

In the waning days of the Pac-12 Conference, I decided to bid the league farewell. Forged in the Arizona Sun, an Arizona State football game day is highlighted by a gorgeous setting, exciting city, and more amenities than most schools offer. Although struggling, ASU fans packed Mountain America Stadium on a picture-perfect afternoon. The Sun Devils welcomed Heisman frontrunner Bo Nix and the Oregon Ducks to town for their final Pac-12 meeting before the teams split for different leagues.

Forged In The Arizona Sun!

End Of An Era

Following the 2023 season, college football as we’ve come to know it over the past couple decades ceased to exist. Conference realignment consolidated national powers to a few select conferences, tearing apart regional football and some of the sport’s most historic rivalries. As a result, the Pac-12 Conference – which has existed for over 100 years – would no longer exist.

With just two weeks until its demise, I decided it was only appropriate to bid the league farewell with my first Pac-12 game.

Fear The Fork!

Arizona State is one of the most convenient universities to visit for out-of-towners. Tempe sits right in the heart of Phoenix and Mountain America Stadium is so close to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport that 737s nearly land atop the butte that fortifies the west grandstand. For the first time on the tour, I broke the “Road” in “Road to CFB.” (In all fairness, I drove in and out during the 2021 Summer Road Trip.)

No matter where you stay in the Phoenix metro area, taking the light rail in is an excellent option. The transit drops you right at the door of the west gates, in between the stadium and downtown Tempe.

Looking for a quick sweat pregame? Traverse the 0.9 mile trail up the Hayden Butte, which sends you over 300 feet above ground level. Although steep, the path is paved and family-friendly. Atop Hayden Butte is a gold stone A. ASU freshmen paint the rock white at the start of each school year, although it’s unclear how it gets painted gold again. The top provides pristine views of downtown Tempe, the surrounding mountains, and even Phoenix itself.

Whether you decide to make the trek – which sounds less appealing before a September game when highs soar well over 100º – it’s worth making your way to the University Commons building for Sparky’s Tailgate. About 75 minutes before kickoff, the Arizona State pep band plays a few songs alongside the cheer squad. Sparky’s Tailgate also offers food trucks, drink stands, and ASU merchandise.

The main tailgating scene is northeast of the stadium, set under plenty of shade. While fans and light clothing is a requirement before Halloween, there’s plenty of refuge from the Arizona sun when tailgating.

Arizona State Football Game Day: The Environment

Perhaps it’s the agony of a losing season. Maybe it’s the lethargy of showing up for a game in which ASU was lined a 25.5-point underdog. Or maybe the tailgate scene was too good to leave. Whatever the reason, the crowd was a late-arriving one this week. Stands didn’t fill until after the first drive of the game.

Those that arrived late missed a pregame show by the Pride of the Southwest. Mountain America Stadium is unfortunately laid out in a way that doesn’t trap noise. I sat in an end zone corner and had trouble hearing 120+ instruments when they weren’t faced right at our section. Acoustics of the PA announcer were also difficult to hear sitting under the scoreboard. The best seats for sound are either in the student section (named the “Inferno Section”) or on the home sideline. While afternoon kicks are understandably rare, there’s little shade except for under the stands.

Also a product of the above excuses, ASU fans were heavily outnumbered. Oregon fans took over the entire east grandstand and were significantly louder, bringing a taste of the famed Autzen Stadium atmosphere with them. Hats off to the Duck faithful. This seems like a recurring issue (but someone with more ASU game experience can confirm or refute that).

No. 6 Oregon 49, Arizona State 13

Like the Pac-12, Arizona State was in a period of transition. Not only were the Sun Devils bound for the Big 12 Conference, but they had just turned over their entire coaching staff the past offseason. Unsurprisingly, ASU was a measly 3-7 heading into their final scheduled matchup with the Oregon Ducks.

Oregon also brought along Heisman frontrunner QB Bo Nix and a potent offense that ranked tops nationally. Nix didn’t disappoint, tossing a ridiculous SIX first-half touchdown passes against a hapless Sun Devil defense. On the other side, ASU struggled to move the football in front of the home crowd. They cycled through a handful of QBs, with star freshman Jayden Rashada sitting due to injury. In fact, their primary QB this game was running back Cameron Skattebo.

Before anyone could blink, the Ducks piled up a 35-0 lead with nine minutes left in the first half. Nix’s sixth TD pass made it 42-0 at halftime and that was all she wrote for the game.

Find yourself at a blowout? Heading to one of the local joints downtown is a great option. I finished this game up at Zipps Sports Bar & Grille. It’s a lively place packed with fans from both sidelines. While there, it’s worth grabbing a postgame Focaccia.

Arizona State Football Game Day Grades

Stadium: B. The setting is stunning. Nestled between two buttes, ASU has one of my favorite settings in the country. Seating is pretty great in the lower bowl and the venue couldn’t be easier to traverse. Its two drawbacks – not much shade (a necessity in the desert southwest) and not great for acoustics.

Tradition: C. Players run out and give a Pat Tillman statue a fist bump on the way onto the field; a tradition I got to try for myself. The entire Arizona State game day really ties back to the desert. Fairly decent, although ASU isn’t the first school I think of when considering ones that ooze tradition.

Atmosphere: C. Sun Devil fans owe a lot to the Oregon fans that flooded town. They were loud and passionate. That’s not to say ASU fans weren’t, although there wasn’t much to cheer about that day. The band has a nice selection of songs between whistles.

Tailgating: B. It’s hard to argue against tailgating on a sunny and comfortable day. The tailgates are there, although not visually apparent. They’re tucked into covered pockets – a savvy move in Phoenix.

Fans: C. Fans were generally courteous and there was little friction between them and Oregon. But getting possibly out-numbered by opposing fans over 1,000 miles away is a tough look. The student section was about 50% empty and that dropped to 80% empty after the half. There’s a strong fair-weather fan vibe at ASU.

Extracurriculars: A. Few college towns feature their own subsection in a bustling metro area. It’s definitely an urban campus, but the upside there is that there’s plenty of places to eat and drink. Downtown was busy, but not obnoxiously packed and nearly every place has an open seat. A nice bonus, Phoenix has ample outdoor activities, hikes, and parks around.