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By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News
TEMPE – The next test for newly ranked Arizona State will be a 46-year-old throwback from the school’s past in the Western Athletic Conference as longtime rival Brigham Young comes to Tempe with a potential College Football Playoff appearance on the line for both teams.
The Sun Devils’ X account confirmed Tuesday that tickets for Saturday’s anticipated showdown are sold out. With roughly 53,599 fans packing Mountain America Stadium, the noise from fans in attendance may be a factor.
Despite tickets being sold out, tailgating will be in abundance for fans who can’t attend the game. This includes a large tailgate party being organized by the BYU Alumni Board.
“When ASU announced its move to the Big 12, we immediately recognized the exciting opportunities for future events and engagement,” Duane Oakes, the Southwest Regional Director of the BYU Alumni Board, said. “In fact, we’ve been planning the BYU versus ASU tailgate in Tempe on November 23rd for several months. We expect a large turnout, with alumni, family, and friends from Arizona, and they will be flying in from across the country.
“With over 50 volunteers already preparing, our goal is to host one of the largest BYU tailgates in the area at the Tempe Institute of Religion, anticipating between 2,000 and 3,000 attendees. Every time we release tickets, they sell out within a day.”
ASU will also be hosting a tailgate known as “Sparky’s Touchdown Tailgate,” which will take place after the homecoming parade and block party, BYU, a private university, is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has a large population in Arizona. The LDS community particularly has strong numbers in the East Valley, closer to ASU.
Arizona has the fourth-highest LDS population, with 439,411 registered members, according to the World Population Review.
Throughout the two programs’ historic rivalry, supporters far and wide have made their presence known.
The most recent meeting between the Sun Devils and Cougars in September 2021 at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, saw 61,570 people in attendance, which roughly makes up 97% of the stadium’s capacity.
Plenty of speculation surrounds whether Saturday’s game will feature a screaming sea of navy or burgundy as a potential momentum-changer.
“It ought to be a great atmosphere,” former Brigham Young and 1990 Heisman trophy-winning quarterback Ty Detmer said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if it was 50/50 (between the fans’ attendance from both sides). I don’t know how many tickets ASU gave BYU, but I’m sure they’re all used up.
“When this game was first on the schedule, it probably didn’t look like it was going to be a very big game, in terms of playoff applications, at the time. It’ll be interesting to see the difference between the fans in blue and the fans in burgundy or gold.”
Saturday’s matchup between the storied rivals will be the first in the same conference since 1977, when ASU defeated BYU, 24-13. It will also be the third time the teams have met while both are ranked in the AP Top 25 with the Sun Devils (8-2) at No.21 and the Cougars (9-1) at No.14.
Arizona State currently leads the all-time series with a record of 20-8.
The victor of Saturday’s game will likely be on track for an appearance in the 2024 Dr Pepper Big 12 Football Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 7. The final result of the championship foreseeably earned a berth in the new 12-team football playoff system.
“It’s an exciting time for ASU fans, and for BYU fans,” Detmer said. “I think with the added pressure of having to win this (game) to get to the conference championship game and the playoffs, it goes a long way in building the drama for the game.”
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