The Territorial Cup is a big deal. In fact, recent research indicates that the ASU vs. UA rivalry is the most intense in the country. For many Arizonans, Thanksgiving usually consists of turkey, family and trash talking whichever university they like least.
The idiocy of the such a hate-filled relationship between the neighbor school lies in the effects it has on the surrounding communities. When people can no longer construct a well-formed opinion of an educational institute due to the sports related stigma, there is a problem. High schoolers should not be dogged by peers, family members, teachers and strangers for their decision to attend the rival school.
Growing up in Tucson and attending schools within walking distance of UA made for an unprecedentedly deep dislike for ASU for no other reason than that everyone else hated them. Being raised in an environment with so much outward aggression towards ASU made it seem as if they were an enemy of Tucson’s greater good.
Every year, elementary and middle schools would dress down in red and blue for Fridays, learn the words to “Bear Down” in music class, and come home from Thanksgiving break in an especially chipper or disappointed mood. The ridiculous nature of the clash can be seen in the sad fact that children are fed completely biased information for something as petty as an annual collegiate sporting event.
The degree of passion people have for this rivalry could be directed to much more vital social issues and problems; but instead, it is spent on the silliness of football. If the conflict was perpetrated all in good fun, without the bitterness or aggression, the ASU vs. UA game would be a yearly unification of the state. If everyone was joking when they made derogatory comments to and about the other team, feelings would be spared and tempers left cool.
Just due to the one small ASU sticker on my laptop, I have received eight remarks in the time it has taken me to write this article. Of course, sitting in a downtown Tucson coffee shop plastered with UA memorabilia with ASU merchandise is asking for trouble. “Sun Devils? More like Scum Devils.” mumbled an elderly woman who I held the door open for. “Hashtag AYE-ES-WHOOOO?!” was the winning pun for a pair of basketball short and bro tank-wearing young men. In these situations, laughing at their wit and poking fun back is typically the best bet. However, there are always the people who decide to take it further.
The competitiveness between the two universities has unfortunately become definitive of the students and community members who support their local teams. Unfortunately, the rivalry has gone beyond the stadiums and into the homes, streets and classroom of Tusconians and Phoenicians alike. The stigmas of the opposing teams continue to outweigh the academic, social and resourcefulness of the universities.
What I find most ridiculous is that fans of either team will legitimately and passionately believe that their rival is a terrible school. ASU fans often criticize UA for the academic aspects of its University based on the football conflict. Vice versa, UA will never hesitate to tear down the educational side of ASU, completely disregarding Barrett, the Honors College as one of the top honors colleges in the nation and ignoring the amazing programs that have been built there.
Neither side is innocent of over-aggression. Both Phoenix and Tucson continuously take the ASU vs. UA rivalry too far, perpetuating it as an actual hatred instead of a sportsmanlike competitiveness.
Reach the columnist at smmaki@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @syd_neym
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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