Arizona
Arizona State to promote Graham Rossini as next VP of athletics
Arizona State is set to promote Graham Rossini as its vice president of athletics, a source briefed on the matter confirmed to The Athletic.
Rossini has worked in college and pro sports, holding senior positions within Arizona State athletics since 2021. He most recently worked as executive senior associate athletic director and chief business officer. A 2002 Arizona State graduate, Rossini replaces Ray Anderson, who resigned in November.
SunDevilSource first reported the expected hire.
Rossini takes over at a challenging time for the Sun Devils. The football program recently received four years probation and other negotiated penalties for breaking NCAA rules put in place during the COVID-19 recruiting dead period. The men’s basketball program needs a new or renovated arena as well as stronger financial support. The once-proud baseball program hasn’t advanced to the College World Series since 2010.
More than anything, Arizona State needs stronger fundraising, particularly within the name, image and likeness landscape. Under university president Michael Crow, Arizona State was slow to embrace this development, setting the athletic department behind its peers. The decision stalled all three anchor programs, frustrating the fan base, which has questioned the administration’s commitment to its major sports.
Rossini’s hire is the biggest Arizona State has made in wake of the football investigation. Anderson was never accused of wrongdoing, but he drew criticism from fans and media for supporting then-head coach and close friend Herm Edwards throughout the controversy. Deputy athletics director Jean Boyd, a respected voice within the department who oversaw the football program, recently announced he would step down this summer.
Fans pushed for Arizona State to bring in an outside candidate to replace Anderson, who held the role for nearly a decade, to distance itself from the recent past. Jim Rund, senior vice president of educational outreach and student services, held the position on an interim basis.
Arizona State is set to compete in the Big 12 this fall, making the transition along with former Pac-12 schools Utah, Colorado and rival Arizona. Crow has always looked at Stanford as a model: strong in academics and competitive across all sports. That has been reflected in how he compensates the university’s athletic directors. In 2022, for example, Anderson, who was among the highest-paid athletic administrators in the country, was eligible for nearly $500,000 in academic bonuses alone.
In previous roles, Rossini has led Arizona State efforts to increase ticket sales, corporate sponsorships and philanthropic contributions with a particular focus on NIL, fan experience and letterwinner outreach. Notably, he helped secure the naming rights to Mountain America Stadium (previously Sun Devil Stadium) and a 10-year extension for the naming rights to Desert Financial Arena.
Rossini previously worked 13 years as a vice president for the Arizona Diamondbacks, where his responsibilities included ticketing and corporate sponsorships. He also oversaw the design, construction and marketing of Salt River Fields, the organization’s spring training complex.
Kenny Dillingham, an Arizona State graduate, replaced Edwards as head coach and went 3-9 in his first football season. His enthusiasm, passion and “Activate the Valley” campaign have energized fans, but the program, which recently lost quarterback Jaden Rashada and standout receiver Elijhah Badger to the transfer portal, still has not recovered from the Edwards fallout. After a slow start, the program has recruited better, but it still is predicted to finish near the bottom of the Big 12 next season.
Men’s basketball coach Bobby Hurley has led Arizona State to three NCAA Tournaments in nine seasons, although he likely would have added a fourth had the 2020 tournament not been canceled. Despite NIL challenges, Hurley and his staff have 2024’s No. 8 recruiting class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. Head baseball coach Willie Bloomquist, an Arizona State product in his third season, is still building his program.
Required reading
(Photo: Kirby Lee / Image of Sport / USA Today)
Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, the Republican candidate for Congressional District 5, is facing new criticism following a recent report published by The Arizona Republic.
What we know:
The article cites unidentified sources who allege Lamb engaged in racist and homophobic text exchanges and sent inappropriate and threatening messages to women.
There are a few things working in Lamb’s favor, which are his name recognition combined with an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
Big picture view:
Analysts said it ultimately comes down to what voters decide at the ballot box.
“People have weathered worse,” Stan Barnes said.
Barnes is a political consultant and former Republican state senator. He points to other figures, like former President Bill Clinton and current President Trump, who both faced high-profile misconduct allegations.
“The American people said, all right, but we still want to vote for him, and Mark Lamb could be in the same situation,” Barnes said.
What they’re saying:
Lamb has largely kept quiet on the issue, a strategy Barnes said can work for candidates.
“He might decide, you know what? It’s salacious, it’s unprovable,” Barnes said. “A lot of people won’t believe it, people aren’t paying attention, and name ID and Trump endorsement’s going to carry me through.”
Inquiries were made to Lamb’s campaign. They responded with a statement, saying in part: “The Arizona Republic admitted that their article was based on a 10-year-old text from a person that couldn’t be located, or might not be a real person. Not exactly what one would call quality, independent journalism.”
However, the allegations could present challenges for his path to Congress.
The other side:
“The problem for Mr. Lamb and his candidacy is that his opponent will attempt to remind voters,” Barnes said.
Lamb’s Republican opponent, Daniel Keenan, spoke out against the former sheriff following the report.
“This story only adds to a pattern of disqualifying, disgraceful, and embarrassing behavior unbecoming of a congressman,” Keenan said in part.
Dig deeper:
Noble, a political data researcher, said the accusations could hurt Lamb with moderate voters.
“There’s really no strong candidates running in that primary because he’s cleared the field,” Mike Noble said. “It’s going to hurt him with women, it’s going to hurt him with independents, self-identified moderates, those that have a high school or less education.”
In a heavily Republican district, Noble said if the accusations gain traction, it could help the opposing party.
“It could potentially be fatal for him in the general election and actually give Democrats an opening in the general election, which normally they wouldn’t,” Noble said.
What’s next:
On the Democratic side, there are four people running in the primary for Congressional District 5. The primary election is scheduled for July 21.
The Source: This information was gathered from the article from The Arizona Republic, a political consultant and Lamb’s campaign.
Arizona families looking to stretch their budgets this summer have a new option: Fry’s Food Stores has partnered with Upside, a free cash-back app that rewards users for everyday purchases like groceries, gas, and restaurant meals.
Shoppers download the app, link a payment card, and select offers before shopping or filling up to earn cash back. Rewards can be transferred directly to a bank account or redeemed as gift cards.
“Fry’s has now partnered with Upside. So Upside is a free app to download that helps you get all of those additional savings on gas, groceries, and restaurants,” Daniella Lerma, Fry’s Multicultural Specialist, said.
Are you a Smart Shopper? What are your go-to saving tips and tricks?
Share your deals or ways to save here!
The partnership means shopping at Fry’s can now unlock rewards at other businesses, including Circle K, Taco Bell, and movie theaters. According to Upside data, some Arizona users are saving up to $255 a year.
Upside says users can maximize savings by using the app across multiple purchases and combining it with existing rewards programs like Fry’s digital coupons and fuel points. Mike McNamee of Upside said people in Arizona have earned nearly half a million dollars in cash back in a short amount of time.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy
Former Iowa State Cyclones star Milan Momcilovic is the player everyone is keeping an eye on during deadline day for prospects to make their final decision about the 2026 NBA Draft.
Will the sharpshooting forward keep his name in the player pool or withdraw to maintain his eligibility to play college basketball? Indications are leaning toward the latter, with NBA executives unanimously voting that he should return to school.
Which school would he be returning to? That is something that will have to be figured out because Momcilovic is currently in the transfer portal, as his focus has been entirely on the NBA draft and turning pro the last few weeks.
Recently, it was reported that the Arizona Wildcats were an emerging suitor for him. It looks as if they are going to have a void in their lineup at one of the forward spots with Koa Peat expected to remain in the NBA draft.
Is Arizona truly in the running for Milan Momcilovic?
However, that may have been more smoke and mirrors than their reported interest. As shared by Tristian Pharis of KY Insider and A Sea of Blue during an appearance on ESPN Radio Lexington, Arizona isn’t a team he has really heard connected to Momcilovic.
“I haven’t really heard Arizona. Most of the time it’s just the agent doing their job spreading rumors,” Pharis said, via their account on X.
Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68, who shared the Momcilovic and Wildcats connection, responded to the post saying, “It wasn’t the agent who gave me the info.”
It will certainly be something worth keeping an eye on because the former Iowa State star is the No. 1-ranked player in the transfer portal. Any team that lands him is going to have its 2026-27 season outlook changed drastically, and in a good way.
It wasn’t the agent who gave me the info.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 26, 2026
There may be some flaws in his skill set, which he is aware of, that made NBA teams hesitant to want to select him in the 2026 NBA Draft. But his 3-point shooting is a truly elite skill that will improve any program he elects to join.
The Kentucky Wildcats have been viewed as the favorites to land him. The St. John’s Red Storm and Louisville Cardinals have been mentioned as possible suitors as well before Arizona came into the mix.
Whoever lands a commitment from Momcilovic is going to be paying a pretty penny. Reportedly, he could command $7 million in the transfer portal.
This past season, AJ Dybantsa of the BYU Cougars had the highest NIL valuation, somewhere between $4.1 million and $4.4 million. There were reports that some of the top big men on the market this year could get upwards of $5 million, which makes the reported $7 million number for Momcilovic truly shocking.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
-
Minneapolis, MN3 minutes agoMinneapolis residents react to police chief’s resignation with shock, hope
-
Indianapolis, IN9 minutes agoNational list names Indianapolis burger one of best in country
-
Pittsburg, PA15 minutes agoBystander helps students involved in school bus crash in Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood
-
Augusta, GA21 minutes agoInvestigators: Augusta teen firefighter accused of fake fire inspections, illegal firearms
-
Washington, D.C27 minutes agoICE detained over 1,000 people in DC. Here’s one man’s story
-
Cleveland, OH33 minutes agoFBI Cleveland Focuses on Missing Northern Ohio Children During Outreach Event
-
Austin, TX39 minutes agoRepeated Theft Attempts Expose Weak Security at Austin Gun Store
-
Alabama45 minutes agoAlabama vs UCLA Live Stream: How to Watch College Softball
