The 2024 Arizona State football team etched its name into program history and, arguably, college football history.
Amid the chaos of conference realignment and the disbanding of the Pac-12, Arizona State faced an uncertain future. Thrown into the Big 12, preseason polls predicted the Sun Devils to finish dead last in their new conference. Instead, they silenced critics and turned doubt into fuel, delivering one of the most electrifying seasons of all time.
Months later, it’s clear the team’s raging success has transcended far beyond the gridiron and is giving the university an opportunity to grow its brand.
“We take immense pride in a special season like that, and its impact reaches well beyond the football field,” ASU president Michael Crow told Cronkite News. “It helps the ASU brand and our message reaches homes all around the country, with literally millions of people associating ASU with excellence, grit, determination and innovation.”
Even coach Kenny Dillingham, who had an up-close and frenetic view of the 11-3 season, is still amazed by the impact the team’s meteoric rise has had on the community.
“When I go to the grocery store and people ask for a picture I’m like, ‘Why?’ This is weird, no, not with me,” he said. “That part is still very very surreal to me. I can’t quite grasp that to be honest.”
If anyone understands what ASU is experiencing, it’s Boise State.
That university saw its yearly enrollment reach 24,000 students for the 2018 spring semester, a number that was 18,000 a year before the team’s iconic ‘07 football season.
Former Boise State president Robert Kustra said faculty recruitment became easier and the state legislature took more interest in the university, The Oklahoman newspaper reported. From dormitories to an alumni center to new engineering and business buildings, everything changed following the 2007 college football season.
“When you talk about success and exposure and notoriety around Boise State, it comes from our football program from the last 25 seasons,” Boise State associate athletic director Chris Kutz said.
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He noted Boise State’s increased exposure on social media.
“Accounts and their posts about our team created over 600 million impressions across this past football season,” Kutz said. “If we were to give that a valuation, and that valuations tied to just science and understanding data, from a dollar standpoint, that’s over $21 million in social media exposure.”
ASU finds itself at a similar crossroads, with its football program serving as the driving force behind the university’s growing national presence. The Sun Devils’ success on the field has already begun reshaping perceptions, creating a ripple effect that extends far beyond Tempe.
“We are nowhere near what we can really accomplish here,” Dillingham said.
Dillingham has made a concerted effort to attend as many Arizona sporting events as possible during the offseason, hoping to spread some of the excitement to other Valley teams.
“I want to see all our sports win, I want to see the university succeed, I want to see people in the Valley excited about sports and rally together to a sports bar and watch games and high five,” he said.
Their journey wasn’t easy, but despite being the “new kid” in the conference alongside familiar foes like the University of Utah, University of Colorado and University of Arizona, the Sun Devils found success. In its first year in the Big 12, Arizona State defied expectation by capturing the regular season title and the conference championship with a dominating win to secure a spot for the first time in the College Football Playoff.
During the 2024 season, the maroon and gold embarked on business trips to destinations like Cincinnati, Ohio, Manhattan, Kansas and even Atlanta for the first time. While the outcomes weren’t always in their favor, the experience proved invaluable.
Similarly, the team will hit the road again this upcoming season, venturing into uncharted territory in Waco, Texas, and Ames, Iowa, while also making familiar stops in Boulder, Colorado, and Salt Lake City.
Perhaps most noteworthy is the continuation of their series with Mississippi State — a matchup that saw ASU secure its first-ever win against an SEC opponent last season. That historic victory came in Tempe, but this year the Sun Devils will travel into SEC territory for the first time in program history, presenting another massive opportunity to prove themselves on a national stage.
Beyond the Xs and Os, every road trip is more than just a game — it’s a chance for Dillingham and ASU to grow their brand.
Whether winning over new fans, impressing potential recruits or showcasing the Sun Devils culture across the country, the upcoming season represents more than wins and losses; it’s a statement of ASU’s place in the new era of collegiate sports.
“In my opinion, your football program is your front yard of the university, your front vision — whatever the picture is of the university — because it’s out there so much,” Dillingham said.
With Arizona State continuing to elevate its presence on the college football landscape, the impact extends far beyond the sidelines. The success of the program is driving national recognition and shaping the university’s identity, resonating with students and fans alike.
“I know our ticket sales and online enrollment are higher than they’ve ever been because these players have put this program and university on the national map,” Dillingham said. “When you looked at the top four playoff teams, you saw the pitchfork right there.”
Every Tuesday leading up to the College Football Playoff, the pitchforks on ESPN’s national broadcast wasn’t just a logo, it was a symbol of the program’s rise, a reflection of the players, coaches and fans who rallied behind a season no one saw coming.
For longtime Sun Devil fans, the CFP quarterfinal game against Texas was surreal. A program that spent years striving for national relevance was suddenly at the center of the conversation — not as an underdog, but as a legitimate contender. For current students, it was a source of pride. For future recruits, it was proof that Arizona State is a destination, not just a stepping stone.
“Sports is a wonderful way for the university to connect with the community, for the community to rally around the team, and to make those Saturday games the ones you really shouldn’t miss,” Crow said.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU football success could raise national profile, like Boise State
