THE RIVALRY: IT’S MORE THAN JUST A GAME

The winner of the ASU-UA game is victor for a year, but the rivalry is built for the ages

The silver cup, which cost $20 to make, wasn’t intended to be awarded to the victor of the game between the state’s two major colleges. And maybe that’s fitting since the Territorial Cup — which by now belongs to the winner of Saturday’s Arizona vs. Arizona State football game — is about more than sports.

It represents a deep-rooted rivalry between two universities, two cities, two traditions.

Shane Dale, author of the book “Territorial: A History of the Duel in the Desert,” said he didn’t realize the intensity until he heard coaches such as former Arizona head coach Dick Tomey drawing comparisons. The Arizona contest, they told him, is more contentious than more-noted rivalries such as USC vs. UCLA.

“We just hate those guys,” said Dale, a UA graduate who grew up and

lives in Sun Devil country. “We don’t really know why. It comes from grandparents and great-grandparents now.”

UA Athletic Director Greg Byrne, whose official bio conspicuously omits that his undergraduate degree is from ASU, says he believes the two schools can coexist in a healthy manner.

“I think both schools need to treat each other with respect,” he said. But, all that said, there’s still a rivalry. “Obviously, when the game starts, we want to go beat the Devils.”

That rivalry is not just a once-a-year proposition. It is a continuous contentious relationship that dates back almost as far as the Civil War era. It has included battles at the ballot box. The two schools still try to one-up each other on notoriety, sports and, oh yes, academics.

For all those reasons, the ASU-UA faceoff is one that continues long after the game clock hits zero.

Here’s a look at how.

1. The game and the cup

The cup was originally the trophy given to the victor of the Arizona Football League. In the Phoenix area, the league consisted of the Phoenix High School, the Phoenix Indian School and the Tempe Normal School, the teachers college that became ASU. UA played a Tucson town team and the Tucson Indian School, according to Dale’s book.

The cup went to Tempe after it beat UA 11-2 in Tucson in a Thanksgiving Day contest in 1899. The UA players hosted a post-game turkey dinner.

The Normal School apparently kept the cup, which was apparently stashed in a church basement, not to be seen again until 1983, said Rob Spindler, ASU’s archivist. It was put on display around the ASU campus until a UA alum spotted it and suggested it be re-awarded to the winner of the annual rivalry game.

It was eventually certified as the NCAA’s oldest rivalry trophy, with a special inaugural ceremony scheduled to honor the first new recipient, the victor of the 2001 rivalry game. But there was an on-field scuffle between the teams following UA’s victory that year, and the trophy ceremony was quickly scuttled.

2. The schools and the deal

Tucson received a university only because of what amounted to a clerical error. The Phoenix area didn’t want a university, until it did.

In 1885, Tucson’s delegation was delayed in traveling to the territorial capital in Prescott for the start of the 13th territorial legislative session and missed precious days of deal-making. Phoenix was awarded a mental-health hospital and its prized appropriation of $100,000. Tucson received the consolation prize of a university and its smaller appropriation of $25,000. Tempe bartered for the Normal School, receiving an appropriation of $5,000.

By the mid-1950s, the Tempe school had grown to a college of more than 9,000 students. The Arizona State College president gathered signatures to put Proposition 200 on the 1958 ballot to change the name of the school to Arizona State University. But Tucson residents wanted UA to be the state’s only university and waged a contentious campaign, even burning the phrase “No 200” into the grass at the new Sun Devil Stadium.

The measure passed by a 2-1ratio. Still, the relationship between the two cities was further soured, making the rivalry even more bitter.

3. The drama and the catch

The1975 rivalry game had everything: drama, controversy, a comeback — and plenty at stake. Arizona State was undefeated and ranked eighth. Arizona had one loss and was ranked 12th. On the line was a Western Athletic Conference championship and Fiesta Bowl berth.

The Wildcats took an early 14-3 lead, but, late in the first half, the host Sun Devils found themselves at the Arizona 8-yard line.

Quarterback Dennis Sproul dropped back and delivered a pass to the end zone that appeared to be a sure incompletion. Wide receiver John Jefferson dove for the ball — his body parallel to the ground — and made the grab. His amazing catch is widely considered the greatest offensive play in ASU history. But some skeptical Wildcats still believe the ball hit the ground before Jefferson caught it.

The touchdown gave the Sun Devils momentum, and they went on to a 24-21 win and a meeting with Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl. The team finished the season 12-0 and No. 2 in the national AP poll.

4. The devil and the cat

UA has the wildcats Wilbur and Wilma. ASU has Sparky the Sun Devil.

Wilbur debuted Nov. 7, 1959 at a football game against Texas Tech. His bride, Wilma, was created accidentally, when designers were trying to make another costume for Wilbur, according to university lore. She was a hit with fans.

The wildcat mascot goes back to 1914, when a newspaper reporter said the university’s football team “showed the fight of wildcats” against the Occidental College Tigers.

ASU’s Sun Devil was chosen by students in 1946. The Sparky logo was created by Bert Anthony, an ASU alum and former Walt Disney illustrator. The costumed Sparky has changed in appearance over the years. This year’s makeover was especially rough.

It fell flat with fans, prompting ASU to go back to the drawing board. Even Wilbur was shocked by Sparky’s new

appearance, tweeting that “It’s a sad day for the mascot world! Even though I can’t stand ASU it truly is sad to see a mascot ruined.” The newest version of Sparky, picked through an online vote and unveiled in May, has had an easier time being accepted.

5. The stars and the silver screen

With pretty much guaranteed sunshine in Tempe and Tucson most of the year, it’s no surprise that parts of movies have been shot on both campuses.

The one most people probably remember is “Jerry Maguire,” in which Tom Cruise plays an agent representing Cuba Gooding Jr., a player for the Cardinals, who played at Sun Devil Stadium at the time. (Gooding won an Oscar for the role.)

Other films that shot footage at ASU include “Campus Man,” “The Nutty Professor” and “Raising Arizona”; the concert films “Let’s Spend the Night Together” and “U2: Rattle and Hum”; and the Barbra Streisand remake of “AStar Is Born.”

As for UA, its biggest appearance is in “Revenge of the Nerds.” The campus also appeared in “Glory Road” and “A Kiss Before Dying.”

6. The distinguished alumni

Each university has its share of household names. ASU graduated athletes Barry Bonds, Phil Mickelson, and Pat Tillman, as well as believe-in-miracles sportscaster Al Michaels.

Actor Nick Nolte and filmmaker John Hughes of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” attended but didn’t graduate.

UA gave degrees to “Top Gun” director Jerry Bruckheimer, journalists Savannah Guthrie of “The Today Show” and Fox News’ Geraldo Rivera; writers Father Andrew Greeley and Barbara Kingsolver, “Mr. Conservative” Sen. Barry Goldwater and Kourtney Kardashian. Actor Craig T. Nelson also attended UA.

Both schools breed funny folk. ASU boasts graduates David Spade and original “Tonight Show” host Steve Allen, and attendee Jimmy Kimmel, while UA graduated Garry Shandling and Greg Kinnear and enrolled Kristen Wiig.

7. The pranks and the pranksters

Whether the almost six decades of painting each other’s “A” mountains, statuary or playing fields is a harmless prank or outright vandalism depends on which side you’re on. Two weeks ago, the A on Tempe Butte was painted red. Last week, the “Arizona Wildcat Family” statue was painted gold. Each side accused the other of vandalism.

From team-color bath bubbles poured into fountains, to “colorful” sayings chalked onto sidewalks, many pranks are an easy fix. Burned letters into practice fields or paint on a $170,000 statue? Not so easy nor so funny.

8. The reach and research

Both universities are considered “Research 1” institutions, academicspeak for lots of research. UA, with a medical school, brings in $632 million per year in research grants. ASU doesn’t have its own medical school but has still seen research rise from $123 million in 2002 to more than $400 million last year.

In addition to adding to knowledge, research brings in jobs, diversifies the economy and sometimes puts the state in the spotlight. In 2012, high-resolution cameras operated by ASU photographed American flags planted on the moon during the Apollo missions and determined five of the six flags were still standing.

9. The ratings and rankings

In the varied world of college rankings, each university is recognized in its own way. ASU was ranked No. 2 in the country as an up-and-coming school, according to U.S. News & World Report college rankings. But the same report ranks UA 119th among top-tier national universities, while ASU ranks 142.

ASU could counter that it’s 49th, according to Washington Monthly magazine’s 2013 national universities rankings, while UA is 66th.

UA’s geology graduate program is No. 1, U.S. News & World Report says. ASU is No. 7 in its graduate fine arts ceramics program, says the same report.

Rankings aren’t all work and no play. UA can count itself among the top 10 schools in sexual health, at No. 3, according to condom maker Trojan. And though it’s no longer the nation’s No. 1 party school, ASU still clocks in at No. 9, says

Playboy magazine.

10. Mars and the stars

Both universities have planetary science programs with international reputations. UA scientists led the Phoenix Mars Mission in 2008 — an unmanned spacecraft discovered that water was once present on the Red Planet. ASU is home to Phil Christensen, who has been involved in Mars missions since the early 1970s and built cameras used on Mars spacecraft and orbiters.

UA and ASU are teaming up this century for the largest space contract in UA’s history, a NASA mission to send an unmanned spacecraft to an asteroid and bring back a sample in 2023. UAwill oversee the mission, called OSIRIS-REx, and build the spacecraft’s cameras. ASU will build a key instrument to analyze the asteroid’s composition.

Perhaps that’s the final frontier: these two rivals, working together.