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How can it be that a football stadium that was really ill suited and dumpy by NFL
standards could by contrast be so cool and funky when it comes to college football?
Well that would be an apt description for Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, home
of the Arizona State University football program.
For about two decades, this venue served as home of the NFL Arizona Cardinals, until
the team bolted for their own new digs in suburban Glendale. Sun Devil Stadium has
also hosted the annual Fiesta Bowl through 2006, although that event will also be
following the Cardinals to Glendale. In 1996, the Super Bowl was played here.
But the major tenant has been the Arizona State University Sun Devils, who have
played here since 1958. The stadium opened with a capacity of 30,000 seats, but
expansions in the 70’s and in 1988 brought the stadium to its current 73,379 seats.
One of the unique things about this stadium is its setting – the stadium is actually
carved into the side of two mountains – called the Tempe Buttes, and fans arriving
from the east side of the building will actually traverse a winding path between the
mountains and the adjacent Well Fargo Arena as they make their way to the stadium.
The large campus itself sprawls out towards the south, and a short walk to the west
down West Fifth Street will take you into a cool downtown type college bar, restaurant
and retail district.
The two deck seating bowl is configured horseshoe style, with a small seating deck
and administrative building in the south end zone. Scattered along the balcony rim are
the Sun Devils’ impressive list of bowl appearances and PAC-10 championships.
Their ring of honor featuring their showcase players is displayed on the pressbox
façade.
Sun Devil Stadium will now take over as host venue for the Insight Bowl and with ASU
continuing to be a football force in the PAC-10, this should be a great place to catch
some college football for years to come.
Game report – this was part two a day night football doubleheader for us and the
game itself was a bit of a snooze. The Sun Devils scored early and often and rolled
over visiting Washington State, 47-14.
standards could by contrast be so cool and funky when it comes to college football?
Well that would be an apt description for Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, home
of the Arizona State University football program.
For about two decades, this venue served as home of the NFL Arizona Cardinals, until
the team bolted for their own new digs in suburban Glendale. Sun Devil Stadium has
also hosted the annual Fiesta Bowl through 2006, although that event will also be
following the Cardinals to Glendale. In 1996, the Super Bowl was played here.
But the major tenant has been the Arizona State University Sun Devils, who have
played here since 1958. The stadium opened with a capacity of 30,000 seats, but
expansions in the 70’s and in 1988 brought the stadium to its current 73,379 seats.
One of the unique things about this stadium is its setting – the stadium is actually
carved into the side of two mountains – called the Tempe Buttes, and fans arriving
from the east side of the building will actually traverse a winding path between the
mountains and the adjacent Well Fargo Arena as they make their way to the stadium.
The large campus itself sprawls out towards the south, and a short walk to the west
down West Fifth Street will take you into a cool downtown type college bar, restaurant
and retail district.
The two deck seating bowl is configured horseshoe style, with a small seating deck
and administrative building in the south end zone. Scattered along the balcony rim are
the Sun Devils’ impressive list of bowl appearances and PAC-10 championships.
Their ring of honor featuring their showcase players is displayed on the pressbox
façade.
Sun Devil Stadium will now take over as host venue for the Insight Bowl and with ASU
continuing to be a football force in the PAC-10, this should be a great place to catch
some college football for years to come.
Game report – this was part two a day night football doubleheader for us and the
game itself was a bit of a snooze. The Sun Devils scored early and often and rolled
over visiting Washington State, 47-14.
SUN DEVIL
STADIUM
Tempe,
Arizona
November
11, 2006
Washington
State
Cougars
at
Arizona State
Sun Devils
STADIUM
Tempe,
Arizona
November
11, 2006
Washington
State
Cougars
at
Arizona State
Sun Devils
| Tempe, Arizona |
Sun Devil Stadium