The Arizona State Sun Devils are the athletic teams that represent Arizona State University. ASU has nine men's and eleven women's varsity teams competing at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. The mascot was adopted in 1946; earlier nicknames were the Normals and later, the Bulldogs. The Sun Devil mascot, Sparky, was designed by former Disney illustrator Bert Anthony. ASU's chief rival is the University of Arizona Wildcats, and both universities' athletics departments compete against each other in the Territorial Cup Series.
Arizona State football team in September 2011
James Harden makes contact with Alfred Aboya inside.
Spencer Torkelson, first overall pick in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft
A men's ice hockey game between Arizona State and Air Force in 2017
Arizona State University is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is now one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the United States. It was one of about 180 "normal schools" founded in the late 19th century to train teachers for the rapidly growing public common schools. Some closed, but most steadily expanded their role and became state colleges in the early 20th century, then state universities in the late 20th century.
President Theodore Roosevelt addresses a crowd of students on the steps of the Old Main at Tempe Normal School (future Arizona State University), March 20, 1911.
Old Main on the Arizona Territorial Normal School (future Arizona State University) campus, c. 1890
ASU's Gammage Auditorium, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
Example of a new academic village, taken at Barrett, The Honors College on the Tempe Campus