Arizona State Announces Self-Imposed Postseason Ban Following NCAA Investigation

The Arizona State football program announced that it will enforce a self-imposed postseason ban for the 2023 season after the program was found to have violated recruiting rules under former head coach Herm Edwards.

The NCAA investigated ASU due to the Sun Devils reportedly hosting high school prospects during the COVID-19 dead period. The investigation began in 2021 and was based off claims that former defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce “helped create a culture in which rule breaking was rewarded,” per ESPN.

Athletic director Ray Anderson released a statement on the football program on Sunday.

‘Arizona State University has informed the NCAA and Pac-12 conference that it will self-impose a one-year postseason ban on its football program for the upcoming season," Anderson said. "In light of the ongoing investigation and our membership obligation to maintain the confidentiality of the matter, we will not be commenting further at this time."

The Sun Devils players were told of this self-imposed ban on Sunday morning.

Edwards, Pierce and offensive coordinator Zak Hill were among five full-time coaches who left the staff or were fired in September after the investigation. Edwards coached the team from 2018 to 2022. He was hired by ESPN to work as an analyst a few months later, returning to a role he previously held since 2009 prior to taking the head coaching job.