Arizona and Arizona State football

I don't know what it is, but the fans don't seem to give a shite. I lived right off campus for a couple years back around 2012. Live in St. Pete now and the Rays get more hype around town than ASU got on campus, it seemed. Also don't know why they don't have top 15 recruiting classes every year. Tempe 12 ain't doin their job

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What's holding these two programs back from really turning to that next level. They both are so incredibly inconsistent. It seems like a 8-4 season at ASU is good and 10-3 is the ceiling. For Arizona, a 7-5 season is good and 9-4 or 10-3 is superb. Arizona is a highly populated state...roughly around 7 million. Arizona borders California, the most populated state. Neither have daunting academic hurdles for their athletes and students. They both play in an elite conference. Is it facilities? Fanbase? Apathy? Recruiting/high school football? What's holding these two (potential gold mines) back?

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For one thing, it's a state with a population filled with transplants. There is no loyalty to staying in-state for college. Any worthwhile recruits always seem to venture elsewhere.

Take a look at the past few recruiting classes for the entire state. This is a breakdown of how many of the top 15 players in Arizona, as rated by Rivals, signed with an out-of-state institution:

2015 10/15
2014 8/15
2013 9/15
2012 10/15

There is little vested interest in staying loyal to the state because I am willing to bet that most athletes weren't born and raised in Arizona. Louisiana has one of the highest proportions of natives to transplants populations of any state in the Union. That is one of the main reasons why the majority of top flight talent typically signs with LSU, as long as LSU is successful.

Homegrown Population Statistics

Only two states have a lower homegrown population percentage: Nevada and Florida. Florida's is due in large part to the influx of Cuban immigrants and the departure of Snow Birds from the Northeast and New England.

On the other hand, 78.8% of Louisiana's population has been born and raised in Louisiana. That's more than twice the percentage of Arizona's native population.

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Arizona borders California, the most populated state.

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Arizona and Arizona State also have to compete against about 20 other major colleges vying for those same recruits.

Within a 1,000 miles of Los Angeles you have the following Division 1 football programs:

Washington
Washington State
Oregon
Oregon State
Cal
Stanford
Fresno State
USC
UCLA
San Diego State
UNLV
Nevada
Boise State
Utah

Both schools have to get in line with everyone else.

ASU should be top 10 in every major sport. No excuse not to if you can use this recruiting pitch.





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I think alot has to do with commitment to success. There really hasn't been one at ASU in the past. Money wasn't spent and effort wasn't expended to try to compete. Things do seem to be changing though. Back to back 10-3 seasons and a strong outlook on this season. Stadium renovations in progress, new stadium taxation district to bring in funds, new AD hired from NFL, etc.

Recruiting is trending upwards too. May not be getting all of the higly coveted prospects they fight USC, UCLA, Oregon for but they are getting a few.

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Fanbase

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At ASU it's the fan base. The university has 80 thousand students but struggles to fill it's 72-thousand seat stadium for any game. Last year's game against Notre Dame did not sell out.

Recruits notice things like that.

It's gotten so bad that they are now in the process of reducing the size of the stadium to somewhere in the neighborhood of 55 K.

When you can't get fans to come to the game you aren't making money. When you aren't making money you aren't spending it to chase recruits or upgrade your facilities.

It's an endless cycle.

ASU will never be a powerhouse until it invests serious money into it's football program.