ASU Rivalry With Arizona Only Growing Over Time

TEMPE -- The rivalry between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats dates back decades and has seen both teams play intense games across different sports, but football is typically the one that receives the most attention.

Men's basketball is on track to creep up on football, as former head coach Bobby Hurley injected life into the two games between the programs on a yearly basis, with the hiring of Randy Bennett serving as a vessel to take the rivalry to another level.

fwwfw — Randy Bennett answers questions during a news conference at the Weatherup Center in Tempe on May 7, 2026. | Mark Henle/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona State-Arizona Has Become More Competitive Lately

Arizona State has won only two games against the powerhouse Wildcats this decade, but Hurley's teams have been tightly contested in most of those games.

Now, the stakes are raised - with Bennett's efficient, no-nonsense philosophy placing a sharp decline on Arizona's margin of error in the two matchups - next season and beyond.

lkn — May 7, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils basketball head coach Randy Bennett (center) poses for a photo with athletic director Graham Rossini (left) and school president Dr. Michael Crow during an introductory press conference at the Weatherup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Bennett is quite familiar with Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd, who served as an assistant at Gonzaga for over two decades. The two elite coaches will almost certainly be locked in a chess match every time they face off.

Despite what each side says at the surface, the state of Arizona will be better off if these two programs are on a relatively even playing field moving forward - and this is quite possibly what we will receive under the leadership of Bennett.

egwgewge — Mar 4, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd shakes hands with Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley before the start of the game at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

This Will Be Recruiting Battle As Well

The rivalry seems to be making a transition into a war of attrition on the recruiting front just as much as a rubber match on the hardwood.

Former Arizona PF and current NBA Draft prospect Koa Peat is likely the best example of this war of attrition. Peat had been heavily targeted by both programs for multiple seasons and was torn between choosing the Wildcats or Sun Devils, according to a source close to Arizona State on SI. He ultimately went with Arizona, and the rest is history.

lnl — Jan 31, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) celebrates alongside Arizona State Sun Devils forward Allen Mukeba (23) in the second half at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arizona has quietly become one of the go-to states for producing NBA-level talent out of high school, and Arizona State's full-on push to target these elite talents directly puts them at odds with the school down in Tucson.

The Sun Devils have experienced some victories as of late, as Bryce Ford chose to return to the Phoenix area this time last year, while Paulius Murauskas has an undeniable chance to "get back" at Arizona after spending his freshman season with the Wildcats.

lm; — March 9, 2026; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Saint Mary's Gaels forward Paulius Murauskas (23) dribbles the basketball against Santa Clara Broncos guard Christian Hammond (1) during the first half at Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Arizona State president Michael Crow perhaps said it best in the eyes of Sun Devil fans by exclaiming, “We need to quiet the barking dog to the south,” during Bennett's introductory press conference on Thursday.

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