126 Years Of Arizona Hatred: Wildcats & Sun Devils Compete For The Territorial Cup

By Simon Carroll

In 2026 Arizona State will take part in the inaugural Union Jack Classic at Wembley Stadium. But 2025 is far from over for the Sun Devils, who still have a chance of making the Big 12 Championship Game and a place in the College Football Playoffs. Standing between them and a shot at back-to-back conference titles? Their bitter in-state rivals Arizona Wildcats, who are having a strong season of their own. Simon Carroll takes a look at the history of the ‘Territorial Cup’, as we get to know more about one of the schools heading to London next year:

The Oldest Rivalry Trophy In College Football

As far as college football rivalries go, not many have the depth of history that the Territorial Cup brings to the table. This game goes back so far that Arizona wasn’t even a state when the two schools first met on the football field. 1899 saw the ‘University of Arizona in Tucson’ play the ‘Normal School of Arizona of Tempe’ (which later evolved into Arizona State University) on Thanksgiving, with the latter recording an 11-2 victory.

Since that first encounter these two schools have faced off on another ninety-six occasions. It’s an incredibly competitive rivalry, with ASU shading the series 51-45-1. The bitterness between the two began in the 1950’s when Arizona State became an official university, something their near neighbours were opposed to. It also didn’t help that the Sun Devils destroyed the Wildcats 47-0 that year. Ever since then, bad blood has flown up and down Interstate 10.

The rivalry has known many names, but finally adopted it’s name after the trophy they played for back in 1899. The Territorial Cup is the oldest trophy in college football, once lost for 80 years. It was found in the basement of a local church in 1980, and the tradition to bestow it on the winning team was resumed at the turn of the twenty-first century.

On Friday, the Sonoran Desert plays host to the 98th game between these two proud programs. And there’s plenty of reasons why this year’s iteration of the Territorial Cup is not to be missed.

Fighting Through Adversity

Considering their injury problems at quarterback, Arizona State have no business sporting an 8-3 record this year. The Sun Devils shocked the football world in 2024; head coach Kenny Dillingham’s program was predicted to prop up the Big 12. Instead, they went on a tear, leaning on the arm of Sam Leavitt and the legs of Cam Skattebo to win their conference and make the college football playoffs. With Skattebo gone to the NFL and Leavitt playing injured (and missing the last three games), ASU would be forgiven for falling back to the pack this season. Instead, they’ve rallied – and though they need some help this weekend, a win against their rivals could propel them into the Big 12 championship game once more.

This achievement amidst adversity isn’t luck. Dillingham is regarded as one of the best young coaches in college football, a coach who in other circumstances would be fielding offers from SEC powerhouses. But pulling Dillingham out of Tempe is no easy task – he’s at his alma mater, and made it very clear when he was hired he considers this a destination job. Unless something drastic happens, Dillingham will likely be at Arizona State for the foreseeable future.

The work that Dillingham has done with backup QB Jeff Sims has been impressive. Sims has led the Sun Devils to three straight wins in three starts, the dual threat quarterback racking up 911 total yards and 8 touchdowns in that spell. Sims has one of the best receivers in the game to work with in Jordyn Tyson; a pass catcher who has 1,800 yards and 19 scores in his 20 games for ASU. Expect Dillingham to exploit the Sims-Tyson connection on Friday against a Wildcat defense that is vulnerable on the road, shipping 365 yards a game.

Embracing A Tough Test

Friday’s game will not be easy. The Sun Devils are ranked #20 in the nation, but the Wildcats are hot on their tail at #25. That national ranking is just reward for second year head coach Brent Brennan, who found himself in a similar spot this year that Dillingham did in 2024; there wasn’t a lot of hope for Arizona before the year began. Instead, Brennan made a mockery of reports his job was in danger, and through eleven games has matched their rivals’ 8-3 season record. They may not be in the race for a Big 12 title game spot, but with the electric Noah Fifita at quarterback they aren’t coming to Tempe to just roll over. The Wildcats will relish playing spoiler – this is not a game anyone at Arizona State will be taking for granted.

For his part, Kenny Dillingham is ready for the challenge. The opportunity for his team here is obvious, but he embraces the difficulty a rivalry game brings to the equation – particularly with two programs going well:

“I’m expecting this place to be rocking. Absolutely rocking. This should be one of the best environments in college football this weekend. Absolutely one of the best. You have two really good football teams playing a rivalry game with a lot of guys who are passionate about their schools on both sides of the ball. This is what you want rivalry games to be. You want them to be this.”

A Taste Of What's Coming To Wembley

With the matchup being picked for broadcast by DAZN, UK college football fans will be able to get a taste of what awaits them when ASU heads to London on 19th September next year. And what newcomers can learn on Friday is that college football is more than just about the game itself. Tailgating, marching bands, traditions – the NFL is a sporting spectacle, but college football is a celebration of Americana. And when it comes to rivalry games, that experience is dialled all the way up to eleven. Brian Dubiski, chairman of the Union Jack Classic, is excited for those of us this side of the pond to sample the atmosphere ahead of next season:

“The matchup of these two teams brings together one of the sport’s most storied rivalries. It shows that great rivalry games are timeless, no matter the venue or the audience. We look forward to bringing some of that passion to London next year!”

We can all enjoy looking ahead to the Big 12 and Arizona State breaking international ground in 2026. But before then, the Sun Devils have a dust-up in the desert to take care of. This is one not to be missed.

About The Union Jack Classic

The Union Jack Classic was founded by a collective of internationally recognized sports marketing and sponsorship agencies, bringing together decades of expertise in launching and growing American sports abroad. The initiative is led by Brian Dubiski and Thomas Hensey of Rhino Marketing, alongside Rob Yowell of Gemini Sports – who all have extensive experience promoting major U.S. sports across the U.K. and Europe.

With a track record of over three decades, the Agency principals were instrumental in the launch of the World League of American Football in London, Frankfurt, and Barcelona, as well as sponsorship and media relations for the NFL International Series at Wembley Stadium. Collectively, they have brokered global naming rights partnerships, including landmark venues such as Emirates Stadium and The O2.

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College Football heads to London in 2026! Make sure you get to see the Arizona State Sun Devils take on the Kansas Jayhawks at Wembley Stadium. Book your tickets here:

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SIMON CARROLL

Lead Writer, Head of Content

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST AND COVERS THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS FOR SB NATION.

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