The ASU football program is no stranger to change, but the most recent announcement will test the team and its fans more than any of its prior transformations.
When the renovation plans for Sun Devil Stadium were announced in a press conference with coach Todd Graham and athletic director Steve Patterson on Wednesday morning, one thing was made clear: This team is in it for the long haul.
Yes, while the stadium eventually needed to be rebuilt because of structural concerns, the timing is no coincidence. Graham’s forward-thinking methods have reached an all-time high, and with the departure of Lisa Love as athletic director, it makes way for the ushering of a whole new era of Sun Devil athletics.
The stadium’s futuristic renderings offer a variety of new amenities for both fans and players. It will still technically be an open-air facility, but the canopy will significantly reduce the heat felt by both fans and players. The reduced seat capacity will increase demand for tickets as well as enhance the entire atmosphere of games. As is generally the case with most college football, the noisier your home crowd can be, the better. Just ask Oregon.
It’s no secret players are attracted to top-notch facilities, and if the new stadium affects the Sun Devils’ ability to attract top-ranked recruits — which it will — ASU could cement itself as a legitimate football powerhouse.
This stadium signifies a new era for ASU students.
The University’s commitment to upgrading its facilities and making ASU a modern and more attractive destination for both students and athletes is encouraging. The price tag on the new stadium is a steep $300 million, but for a move as drastic and potentially identity altering as this, the reward could outweigh the cost.
Through solid recruiting, a new facility and a front office committed to the program’s long-term success, ASU can become a regular contender for the Pac-12 title. It won’t happen overnight, though, and as well it shouldn’t. What has doomed ASU in the past is its “success now, consequences later” mentality, and it seems that mindset is on its way out.
With a program dedicated to building itself from the ground up, fans should be heading out in hordes to support this team, even if it takes a few years before the team achieves the level of success being preached by Graham and company.
Imagine the Sun Devils’ name regularly being tossed in the conversation with Alabama, Wisconsin, LSU or Oklahoma. Feels good, right?
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