College Football HQ

Big 12 football program teases unique change ahead of in-state rivalry game

Joe Cox|
Arizona State is breaking out a big-game detail for their annual battle with Arizona
Arizona State is breaking out a big-game detail for their annual battle with Arizona | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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Arizona State Sun Devils

In college football, there's an implied home field advantage. But sometimes, the advantage goes a little bit beyond the benefit of playing in front of the home crowd. Sometimes it truly is the home FIELD advantage. That is the case for tonight's ranked-on-ranked matchup between Big 12 rivals Arizona and Arizona State. The Sun Devils have cooked up something a bit special.

Home Field Advantage

Arizona State is unveiling a massive field design that turns the entire playing surface into the top half of the head of Sun Devil mascot Sparky. While the ASU crowd could already count on the vocal and visual support of its army of fans, the field itself is now officially part of the home field advantage.

Groundskeeping Hijinks

Football groundskeeping advantages have generally been less aesthetic and more practical. The infamous Snowplow Game in 1982 was notable when the home field New England Patriots had a snowplow clear a path of ground for kicker John Smith to gain footing to nail a game-winning field goal. To their credit, the Sun Devil grounds crew isn't cheating here-- just designing a glorious home team tribute.

Arizona/Arizona State Matchup

Arizona State is a slight home underdog against the visiting Arizona Wildcats. Both teams are 8-3, but the Sun Devils have lost QB Sam Leavitt for the remainder of the season due to injury. State is 6-2 in the Big 12 and still has an outside shot at being able to earn a spot in the Big 12 title game with a win. Arizona, at 5-3 in the league, is stuck basically playing the spoiler role.

UA/ASU Series History

The so-called Duel in the Desert is one of the more even college football rivalries. Arizona holds an all-time 51-45-1 lead in the series. But Arizona State has won six of the last eight games in the battle and grabbed last season's win 49-7. The rivalry goes back as far as 1899, when Arizona State, then known as Tempe Normal, won the first game between the teams 11-2. That said, it's safe to assume that in 1899, nobody got to play on a field design anything near as impressive as they'll see in 2025.

ASU2
Arizona State will have a true home FIELD advantage against Arizona on Friday. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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Joe Cox
JOE COX

Joe is a journalist and writer who covers college and professional sports. He has written or co-written over a dozen sports books, including several regional best sellers. His last book, A Fine Team Man, is about Jackie Robinson and the lives he changed. Joe has been a guest on MLB Network, the Paul Finebaum show and numerous other television and radio shows. He has been inside MLB dugouts, covered bowl games and conference tournaments with Saturday Down South and still loves telling the stories of sports past and present.

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