Arizona
College Football Playoff players to watch, key to the Peach Bowl: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Arizona State
The first game of 2025 will happen in Atlanta as a former Big 12 team in its first year in the SEC will meet a former Pac-12 team in its first year in the Big 12. Got all that? Welcome to the 2024 College Football Playoff.
[More CFP: Ohio State vs. Oregon | Boise State vs. Penn State | Notre Dame vs. Georgia]
Date: Jan. 1 | Time: Noon ET | TV: ESPN | Line: Texas -12.5 | Total: 51.5
How these teams got here
Texas: The Longhorns took down No. 12 Clemson 38-24 by running over, around and through the Tigers. Jaydon Blue’s 77-yard TD put the Tigers away in the fourth quarter as Texas rushed 46 times for 295 yards ahead of the kneeldowns it took to end the game.
Arizona State: The Sun Devils are the Big 12 champions in a season that came out of nowhere. After a lackluster final season in the Pac-12 during Kenny Dillingham’s inaugural year with the team, ASU surged in the second half of 2024. ASU has won six straight games after a 24-14 loss at Cincinnati on Oct. 19. The wins included victories over Kansas State, BYU and then Iowa State in the Big 12 title game.
How the QBs stack up
Sam Leavitt transferred to Arizona State after playing four games as a freshman at Michigan State in 2023. He won the starting job over Jeff Sims before the season and has emerged as an effective passer in his first full season as a starter. Leavitt as 192-of-304 passing for 2,663 yards and 24 TDs with just five interceptions. He’s also rushed for 383 yards and five touchdowns.
Texas QB Quinn Ewers was 17-of-24 passing for 202 yards with a TD and an interception against the Tigers on Dec. 21. Ewers has thrown for 2,867 yards in 2024 and is completing 67% of his passes.
Players to watch
Texas WR Isaiah Bond: The Alabama transfer missed the CFP game against Clemson because of an injury but is set to return against the Sun Devils. Bond had one catch for 22 yards against Georgia in the SEC title game and also had a costly drop that led to an interception. For the season, he has 33 catches for 532 yards and five touchdowns and has rushed four times for 98 yards and a score. Matthew Golden and Gunnar Helm are Texas’ top two receivers and freshman Ryan Wingo has emerged, but Bond still adds a downfield element the Texas offense badly needs. He’s tied with Golden for the team lead at 16.1 yards a catch.
Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo: The No. 5 finisher in the Heisman race is the man who powers the ASU offense. Skattebo has 263 carries for 1,568 yards and 19 TDs while also serving as Arizona State’s second-leading receiver with 37 catches for 506 yards and three scores. He’s even more of a focal point with leading receiver Jordyn Tyson out for the season, too. While players like Xavier Guillory and Melquan Stovall stepped up against Iowa State, Arizona State’s offense is going to run through Skattebo.
Key to the game
This is a fascinating matchup between two of the most creative offensive minds in college football. Dillingham has schemed an offense that has scored 53 TDs this season while Texas coach Steve Sarkisian will assuredly have a couple of new looks for the Arizona State defense. Sarkisian clearly saw a weakness in the Clemson run defense in the first round and thwarted it over and over and over. Can he find a vulnerability against Arizona State? The Sun Devils have allowed over 2,800 yards passing this season and are giving up 5.2 yards per play. This may be a game that’s much more about the staying power of the ASU defense than the ASU offense.
COCONINO COUNTY, AZ — A new wildfire burning along the Arizona-Utah border has grown to over 1,000 acres and remains 0 percent contained as of Tuesday.
The Rock Canyon Fire is centered nine miles south of US 89 and nine miles west of House Rock Valley Road in Coconino County.
According to fire officials, the fire was lightning-caused.
Nick Smith
Wildland firefighters from the U.S. Wildland Fire Service and U.S. Forest Service are working to contain the fire, along with local crews.
The Rock Canyon Fire is one of two currently burning in Arizona, with the Dellenbaugh Fire located near the Grand Canyon estimated to be at 700 acres.
Here’s what you need to know about Arizona State University
ASU, founded in 1886, has its main campus in Tempe, and Sparky the Sun Devil is the mascot for the school.
The Republic
Throughout the years, Arizona State University has been home to some of the most notable alumni.
The public research university based in Tempe was founded in 1885 as the Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature. Now, it is one of the United States’ largest public universities by enrollment.
Famous Sun Devils have broken into various industries, including fashion, acting, comedy, sports and politics. With more than 680,000 alumni around the world, it makes sense that a few of them ended up being such high-profile graduates.
Here are some of the most famous alumni from Arizona State University.
Steve Allen
Television and radio personality Steve Allen was the co-creator and first host of “The Tonight Show.” He also hosted a number of game and variety shows including “The Steve Allen Show,” “I’ve Got a Secret” and “The New Steve Allen Show.”
Allen’s first radio job was on station KOY in Phoenix. This was after he left ASU as a sophomore.
Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds, a former professional baseball left fielder, played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball. He was with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants, and he’s considered one of the greatest players of all time.
Bonds went to Arizona State University, where his distant cousin and university Hall of Fame right fielder Reggie Jackson attended and played baseball. He was a Sporting News All-American selection in 1985, he tied the NCAA record with seven consecutive hits in the College World Series as a sophomore and he was named to the CWS All-Tournament team in 1983 and 1984.
He was not well-liked by his teammates. His coach, Jim Brock, said he was “rude, inconsiderate and self-centered.” Bonds was almost unanimously voted off the team. Bonds graduated in 1986 with a degree in criminology. He was named ASU On Deck Circle Most Valuable Player and was inducted into the Sun Devil Hall of Fame 1999 Class.
Lynda Carter
Lynda Carter, the actress and singer best known for her role as “Wonder Woman,” was born in Phoenix and attended ASU for two years, but dropped out after being successful in beauty pageants.
Christine Devine
TV news anchor and 16-time Emmy winner Christine Devine grew up in Arizona. She graduated from Arizona State in 1987 and is a part of the Walter Cronkite School of Broadcast Journalism’s Hall of Fame.
She attended the school on the Leadership Scholarship and was on the Alumni Association board.
Doug Ducey
Republican politician Doug Ducey moved to Arizona to attend ASU, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in finance. He is a part of ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business Hall of Fame.
Ducey originally began his career in sales and marketing. He became a co-owner, partner and chief executive officer of Cold Stone Creamery in 1995. He sold the company in 2007 and was elected as the Arizona state treasurer in 2010. Ducey was the governor of Arizona from 2015-2023.
Katie Hobbs
Katie Hobbs was born in Phoenix; she grew up in Tempe and attended Seton Catholic High School in 1988. She attended Northern Arizona University and received a bachelor’s degree in social work. She attended Arizona State University for her master’s degree in social work in 1995.
Hobbs was a social worker and an adjunct professor of social work at Paradise Valley Community College and ASU before being elected to the Arizona House of Representatives, the Arizona State Senate, as the secretary of state of Arizona and the Governor of Arizona.
James Harden
Cleveland Cavaliers player James Harden played college basketball for the Arizona State Sun Devils. He was named a consensus All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2009. He was also selected as the third overall pick in the 2009 NBC draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Jimmy Kimmel
Talk show host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel attended ASU for two years. There, he frequently called into KZZP’s morning show and KRQQ in Tucson.
Stephenie Meyer
Novelist and producer Stephenie Meyer is best known for writing the vampire romance series “Twilight.”
She was raised in Phoenix, attended Chaparral High School in Scottsdale and took some classes at Arizona State University in 1996 and 1997.
Al Michaels
“Thursday Night Football” sportscaster Al Michaels attended Arizona State where he majored in radio and television, and minored in journalism. He worked as a sports editor for the independent student newspaper, the State Press. He called Sun Devils football, basketball and baseball games for the campus radio station, Blaze Radio. Michaels was also a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity.
He graduated in 1966.
Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson is a professional golfer who plays in the LIV Golf League. He has won 45 events on the PGA Tour, including three Masters titles, two PGA Championships and one Open Championship. He was nicknamed “Lefty” because he plays left-handed.
Mickelson was raised in San Diego and Scottsdale. He attended Arizona State University on a golf scholarship and captured three NCAA individual championships and three Haskins Awards. He also led the Sun Devils to the NCAA team title in 1990. During his collegiate career, he won 16 tournaments.
Ed Pastor
Former U.S. Rep Ed Pastor from Claypool was Arizona’s first Latino member of Congress. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from ASU and was the first in his family to attend college. He returned to the university to earn a law degree.
A part of the Democratic Party, Pastor retired after 23 years in Congress.
Dustin Pedroia
Former professional baseball second baseman for the Boston Red Sox, Dustin Pedroia attended Arizona State University. At ASU, he played college baseball for the Sun Devils alongside Ian Kinsler and Andre Ethier.
Kinsler and Pedroia competed for the shortstop position with Pedroia coming out on top. Over three years at ASU, Pedroia didn’t hit below .347 and had a career average of .384, starting all 185 games.
Pedroia relinquished the last two years of his athletic scholarship to help his coach Pat Murphy use the money to recruit better pitchers. He was named ASU On Deck Circle Most Valuable Player and was drafted by the Red Sox in the second round of the 2004 MLB draft.
Kyrsten Sinema
Former United States senator from Arizona, Krysten Sinema was born in Tucson. She completed her bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and completed a Master of Social Work degree at Arizona State University in 1999.
In 2004, she earned a law degree from Arizona State University College of Law. Then in 2012, she completed a doctorate in justice studies from ASU; in 2018 she completed an online M.B.A. from the W. P. Carey School of Business.
Sinema was an adjunct professor teaching master’s-level policy and grant writing classes in 2003 at Arizona State University School of Social Work.
David Spade
David Spade is a stand-up comedian, actor and podcaster. He has been nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003.
He and his family moved to Scottsdale when he was 4. Spade attended Saguaro High School and then Scottsdale Community College before transferring to Arizona State University.
He was a member of the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon, performed stand-up at the university’s long-running sketch comedy show, “Farce Side Comedy Hour.” In the mid-1980s, he did stand-up at the Monday night comedy show at Greasy Tony’s Pizza in Tempe. He dropped out after making a decent living doing stand-up.
Kate Spade
Fashion designer and entrepreneur, Kate Spade transferred from the University of Kansas to Arizona State University.
There she joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and graduated with a journalism degree in 1985.
In college, Spade worked in sales at Carter’s Men’s Clothing in Phoenix, where she met her future husband and business partner Andy Spade who also attended ASU. Andy Spade is the older brother of David Spade.
Kate and Andy Spade went on the create fashion and lifestyle brand Kate Spade New York.
Brenda Strong
Brenda Strong earned a bachelor’s degree in music performance from Arizona State in 1982. She was also crowned Miss Arizona in 1980.
Strong is known for her roles on “Seinfeld,” “Starship Troopers” and “Desperate Housewives” – for which she was nominated for two Emmy Awards.
Pat Tillman
Professional football player for the Arizona Cardinals, Pat Tillman, first played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils. At ASU, he secured the last remaining scholarship for the team and played as linebacker.
In 1997, he was voted for Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and he was also named Arizona State’s MVP that year. Tillman majored in marketing and graduated with a 3.85 GPA, he also earned numerous academic awards. Tillman was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
Tillman enlisted in the United States Army in May 2002 after four season in the NFL and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. His service in Iraq and Afghanistan received media attention after it was discovered he had been killed by friendly fire.
ASU’s Pat Tillman Veterans Center is named in his honor and offers support services for veteran students and their families.
Ayọ Tometi
Ayọ Tometi is a human rights activist, writer, strategist and community organizer. She is a co-founder of Black Lives Matter, a political and social movement that highlights racism, discrimination and racial inequality experienced by Black people in the United States, and promotes anti-racism.
Tometi graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in public/applied history from the University of Arizona in 2005 and with a master’s degree in communication studies, with a specialization in advocacy and rhetoric from Arizona State University in 2010.
Peterson Zah
Peterson Zah held several offices with the Navajo Nation and was the First Navajo Nation president from 1991 to 1995.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State in 1963. In 1995, was recruited by ASU president Lattie Coor to become a special advisor to the president of American Indian Affairs for Arizona State University. He held the position until 2011 with a focus on increasing retention and success of Native students. During his time as an advisor, the Native population of the university doubled.
Do you have a tip or a question you need answered? Reach the reporter at dina.kaur@arizonarepublic.com. Follow @dina_kaur on X, formerly known as Twitter, and on Instagram @dina_kaur.
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RCA Records
The Arizona State Fair 2026 concert lineup just got bigger.
On Monday, fair officials announced that pop star Becky G and punk/alt-rock band The Offspring are joining the 2026 Coliseum Concert Series.
The two acts join a growing list of artists scheduled to perform during this year’s Arizona State Fair, which runs weekends from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1.
Becky G will play the fair on Friday, Oct. 9. The Offspring are scheduled to perform on Friday, Oct. 16.
Both concerts start at 7 p.m. inside the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum and won’t feature opening acts.
It’s the first time The Offspring, best known for a string of ‘‘’90s rock hits, has played the Arizona State Fair.
Becky G, the Grammy-nominated pop singer behind such multiplatinum singles as “Shower” and “Mayores,” previously performed at the fair back in 2019 and 2023.
Neil Schwartz Photography
Arizona State Fair 2026 concert lineup
State fair concerts featuring marquee artists have been shaking the walls of the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the fairgrounds since the 1960s.
The rosters of legendary artists and bands who have played the fair over the decades is both enormous and legendary. Names like Bob Dylan, Nirvana, Green Day, Korn, Snoop Dogg and Johnny Cash have taken the state inside the Coliseum over the decades.
Earlier this month, state fair officials began announcing the 2026 Coliseum Concert Series lineup.
Tempe rock icons Gin Blossoms are scheduled to perform on Friday, Oct. 2. Tickets are $58.09 to $107.53. Country music recording artist Russell Dickerson will play the fair on Saturday, Oct. 17. Tickets are $53.97 to $92.08.
Additional concert announcements are expected in the coming weeks.
When do Arizona State Fair concert tickets go on sale?
Tickets for Gin Blossoms and Russell Dickerson are already available through the Arizona State Fair website.
Tickets for Becky G and The Offspring go on sale at 10 a.m. on Wednesday via azstatefair.com/concerts. A presale for subscribers to the Fair Fandom newsletter begins at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
Reserved-seat upgrades are available for all four concerts. Each concert ticket also includes admission to the Arizona State Fair.
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