Breaking Down the History of Arizona State-Arizona's Rivalry
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TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils and Arizona Wildcats are set to square off in the 99th edition of the Territorial Cup series on Friday night in Tempe.
The rivalry has become renowned for being one of the most intense in all of college football over the years and is set to feature two top-25 squads for the first matchup since 2014.
ASU on SI explores key elements of the rivalry below.
Why is the Game Called the Territorial Cup?
The lore behind the cup is something that one would think came out of a storybook.
The University of Arizona played the Normal School of Arizona (ASU) starting in 1899, with a trophy that was created specifically for the game. It is called the Territorial Cup due to the series beginning when Arizona was still a U.S. territory - it did not become a state until 1912.
The two teams would play sporadically from 1899 to 1946 and have faced off on an annual basis since.
Another fascinating wrinkle in the rivalry is that the original Territorial Cup was presumed to have been lost before being found in a church next to Arizona State's campus in 1980. The cup was then verified by the NCAA as the original trophy and is now considered the oldest in college sports.
What Was Result of First Game of the Series?
Arizona State won the first game of the series by a score of 11-2.
What is ASU's Overall Series Record?
Arizona State trails the overall series mark - Arizona has the advantage with a record of 51-45-1, although the Sun Devils have had a firm grasp of the series since 1956. The 2021 game - which was a 38-15 Arizona State victory - was vacated by the NCAA due to infractions committed by Herm Edwards and staff.
T Cup: A Series of Legendary Finishes
The series has been contested in several different eras of the matchup, but recent years have brought some of the finishes that will be remembered the most.
The Sun Devils won the 2010 game 30-29 in a shocking double-overtime contest that ended with Arizona State blocking Arizona's extra point to secure the win.
The 2014 game had the biggest stakes in recent memory, as the Pac-12 South title was on the line. The wildcats won an instant classic match by a score of 42-35, and eventually played in the Fiesta Bowl that season.
The 2018 game was the last "classic" ending, where Arizona State overcame a 40-21 deficit in the fourth quarter to win the game 41-40 behind the heroics of Eno Benjamin in which set the tone positively to close out Herm Edwards' first season on the post.
Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on major takeaways from the Sun Devils’ convincing win over Colorado in week 13 here.
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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.