Arizona State's 2026 Bowl Fate Projected Before Spring Practice

The Sun Devils are preparing for a massively consequential campaign with high hopes attached to it.

Arizona State head football coach Kenny Dillingham watches folklórico dancers perform as they arrive at the Atlantic FBO Hangar in El Paso, Texas, on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, ahead of the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. | Gaby Velasquez/ El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The 2026 Arizona State football team has already started preparations for the season to come, as spring practices are set to be held later in March in response to an 8-5 campaign the year before.

Kenny Dillingham's fourth season on the job will be marked with a roster that is much different compared to the previous rendition, while still carrying hopes of competing for a second Big 12 title.

The Sun Devils face several testy games in 2026 - including road games against Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Brigham Young, and Arizona - how will those matchups ultimately shape Arizona State's postseason fate at the end of the year?

Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona State vs. Tennessee

Brad Crawford of CBS Sports ultimately projects that the Sun Devils will take on one of the more iconic members of the SEC in one of the better non-playoff bowl games each December.

The Sun Devils are effectively projected to finish fourth in the Big 12 here, as Texas Tech is the selection to reach the College Football Playoff, while BYU and Houston are given bowl games that are perceived to be a bit more prestigious.

This still remains an encouraging matchup for Arizona State, as Tennessee has been one of the most successful teams in the SEC in recent seasons. Dillingham would meet his match in Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel, while the two rosters would be a rough mirror of one another. This would be an intriguing matchup for the Sun Devils that would have the potential to have pay-off attached to the contest despite not reaching the CFP.

How Does ASU Reach Playoff Again?

Arizona State is obviously heading into this season with the designs of reaching the CFP for the second time in three seasons, with Texas Tech serving as the major roadblock preventing that goal from being realized, although the challenges go beyond the high-priced Red Raiders' roster.

Arizona State's roster is as strong at the top of the roster as it was during the 2024, as the loss of Sam Leavitt ensured that the program had enough NIL resources to draw the commitment of three different four-star players via the transfer portal.

The roster is as solid as they come in the Big 12, the same coaching staff remains intact, and the schedule sets the stage to make an early statement in the season - ultimately the performance of the quarterback position has potential to shape the course of the season.

Read more on the bold strategy that head coach Bobby Hurley employed with comments on 1/21 here, and on why Arizona State may have saved the season with the win over Cincinnati on Saturday here..

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