Popularity of Wildcats vs. Sun Devils in Phoenix? (Tucson: home, schools)

[twill933]

Hey everyone. I’m going to be moving to Phoenix in a couple of months and am curious about the city’s college sports landscape.

This might seem like a silly question, given that Arizona State University is in the city’s backyard and the University of Arizona is a couple of hours away in Tucson; however, I’ve heard that there are plenty of UofA alumni in Phoenix, and that the UofA operates a medical school in Phoenix. Moreoever, I was reading about the UofA taking out a billboard by Sky Harbor International declaring Phoenix as “Wildcat country”. So it seems like the UofA’s presence expands well beyond Tucson’s borders.

What I’m wondering is whether the Wildcat’s presence in Phoenix is strong enough to rival (or even exceed) the popularity of the geographically “local” college team (the Sun Devils). Do you see lots of Wildcats gear in Phoenix, and if so, does it rival (or exceed) the amount of ASU gear you see in the city? As a result of the presence of the university and its alumni in the city, do the Wildcats have enough of a fanbase in Phoenix to be seen as a “local team” (despite being located in a different city a couple of hours away)?

Thanks, and I’m looking forward to making Phoenix my home in a couple of months!

[observer53]

Originally Posted by twill933

Hey everyone. I’m going to be moving to Phoenix in a couple of months and am curious about the city’s college sports landscape.

This might seem like a silly question, given that Arizona State University is in the city’s backyard and the University of Arizona is a couple of hours away in Tucson; however, I’ve heard that there are plenty of UofA alumni in Phoenix, and that the UofA operates a medical school in Phoenix. Moreoever, I was reading about the UofA taking out a billboard by Sky Harbor International declaring Phoenix as “Wildcat country”. So it seems like the UofA’s presence expands well beyond Tucson’s borders.

What I’m wondering is whether the Wildcat’s presence in Phoenix is strong enough to rival (or even exceed) the popularity of the geographically “local” college team (the Sun Devils). Do you see lots of Wildcats gear in Phoenix, and if so, does it rival (or exceed) the amount of ASU gear you see in the city? As a result of the presence of the university and its alumni in the city, do the Wildcats have enough of a fanbase in Phoenix to be seen as a “local team” (despite being located in a different city a couple of hours away)?

Thanks, and I’m looking forward to making Phoenix my home in a couple of months!

No, the U of A presence doesn't equal or exceed the Sun Devil influence in the Valley. The rivalry is a huge one, though, and one of the, if not the, oldest in college sports; most rabid on the football side. The Wildcats are not seen as a local team, though you will see extra supprt for them, say, when they are in the Elite 8 or Final Four in basketball. Maybe a little when U of A won the CWS a few years ago. With ASU's hire this past week of a fantastic new athletic director, I think any U of A presence/influence here will go down, not up.

[new2colo]

U of A presence is huge here. I see plenty of U of A license plates, plate frames, stickers, and clothing in the Phoenix area. Many U of A alum are from Phoenix or move here to get jobs because Tucson's economy is terrible. ASU does have a much larger presence due to the fact that the main campus is in the Valley. ASU will be featured on the sports segments of local newscasts before U of A unless the Wildcats win a big game.

[Ponderosa]

Just among Wildcat alums in Phoenix. Actually, not many pay attention to ASU sports anymore either since the pro teams came. It is not the biggest sports name in town anymore. Add to that the fact that the Phoenix area has grown several fold over the past couple decades with people from somewhere else who have no attachment to the university and who really don't give a hoot about ASU or UofA. Now, in Tucson, it is another matter. They are nuts about Wildcat basketball down there.

[Finger Laker]

Kind of odd that this is what you are honing in on with all the other things that can go into a move

Popularity of Wildcats vs. Sun Devils in Phoenix? - Arizona Sports Fans Network

The last ASU AD was plenty good, just not in his seat long. Lisa Love was a bit of a disaster. This new guy sounds great.

Greg Byrne has done a nice job down at UofA ........... although it is funny that their official bio fails to note where he completed his undergraduate degree (hint: ASU)
Greg Byrne Biography - The University of Arizona Official Athletic Site

This, in part, has led him to really focus on the Phoenix marketplace .... so while you are seeing more of an emphasis of UofA being marketed here, the city is by and large and ASU town

The main sport that resonates locally is football followed by baseball. There are many locals that will follow UofA for basketball - some of the unaffiliated will follow ASU for football and UofA for basketball

However, college sports doesn't dominate the local scene in Phoenix - support is fairly weak, sellouts are not frequent even for footbal, it's not like what you'll see with some of the other large public universities

In Tucson, the community is much more tied to UofA

[SluggoF16]

Growing up in the Phoenix area, there was a lot of coverage of UofA sports, not as much as ASU, but it was fair. When I was stationed in Tucson in the 90s, as an ASU alum, I noticed very little coverage of ASU. It was Wildcats this and Wildcats that. Sort of like what I see up the road in OKC with the Sooners versus the OSU Cowboys. A very inequitable coverage of state teams. Of course, no sports newscasters gave the time of day to the NAU Lumberjacks...

[pbenjamin]

If you look at the local paper, both schools get covered by there is clearly more emphasis on ASU. They tend to reprint stories from the Arizona Daily Star rather than assigning their own reporters. In general, people are more interested in UofA's basketball team than their football team, since ASU has not had a strong program in years and UofA has a few Final Fours under Lute Olson.

[grmi66]

You'll find a lot of fellow Wildcats around here, at my work the largest contingent of college graduates hail from the U of A. When I drove down to Tucson for Christmas, it was bumper to bumper the whole way with cars that had Wildcat bumper stickers or license plate holders.

[Jnvlv247]

Go to a sports bar and they play ALL AZ sports
There are wildcats but mostly Sun Devils in the crowd and it can get crazy but I've never heard of or have seen violence over it

[Ztonyg]

The Phoenix area is heavily skewed towards ASU (especially on the football side). In some ways ASU baseball seems more popular than basketball. U of A is the basketball school and will get some, but not great coverage in Phoenix. ASU sports can be heard on 620 AM, 98.7 FM, and 1060 AM depending on the sporting event. U of A sports can now be found on 910 AM which is a massive improvement over the past.