Territorial: The History of the Duel in the Desert

Dating back to 1899, the football rivalry between the Arizona Wildcats and Arizona State Sun Devils is the best in the West – and regretfully, most college football fans outside the Grand Canyon State aren’t familiar with its great history.

On and off the field, the rivalry between the Sun Devils and Wildcats is tumultuous for athletic, geographical, political, and personal reasons. The winner of the annual football game at the end of each season receives the Territorial Cup, the oldest collegiate rivalry trophy in the United States.

Learn about what makes this rivalry one of the most heated and emotional in the country – and read about the behind-the-scenes moments that have come to define the rivalry – straight from over 150 former and current players, coaches, and analysts who were interviewed for Territorial.

Arizona and Arizona State head coaches interviewed for Territorial include Rich Rodriguez, Todd Graham, Mike Stoops, Dennis Erickson, John Cooper, Dick Tomey, and Frank Kush.

Arizona players interviewed include Chuck Cecil, Nick Foles, Byron Evans, Ricky Hunley, Randy Robbins, John Fina, and Jay Dobyns.

Arizona State players interviewed include Jake Plummer, Danny White, Keith Poole, Kyle Williams, Randall McDaniel, Benny Malone, and Al Harris.