Little by little, the Territorial Cup football game has slipped, losing appeal, perhaps because the sports landscape in this state has grown to include the NFL, MLB and NHL.
The Wildcats and Sun Devils are no longer the only game in town, as was the case when every game between the rivals was played to capacity crowds (or close) from 1950 to 2000.
It’s uncertain Friday night’s UA-ASU game will even draw 50,000 at Arizona Stadium.
The smallest Tucson attendance for the rivalry was 47,005 in 2002, the beginning of the end for coach John Mackovic.
ASU (5-6 this season) did not fill Sun Devil Stadium for the Territorial Cup in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2009, three times drawing crowds below 56,000 in the 72,000-seat stadium (now reduced to about 57,000 capacity).
Sun Devil athletic director Ray Anderson has already said ASU coach Todd Graham will return in 2017. About the only thing that can be determined in Friday’s game is whether Greg Byrne will say the same thing about Rich Rodriguez.
What else is there to gain?
