PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The Sun Devils will be spending New Year’s Eve in El Paso.
On Sunday, Arizona State learned its postseason fate. ASU will be playing in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, where it will face off against Duke of the ACC.
This will be the program’s eighth overall appearance in the Sun Bowl, with the first appearance a 0-0 tie against Catholic in 1940 and the most recent a win over Florida State in 2019. Overall, ASU is 4-2-1 in its Sun Bowl appearances.
In El Paso, ASU will face off against Duke. The Blue Devils won the ACC championship on Saturday over Virginia, sneaking into the game despite a 7-5 record. This will be the second all-time matchup between the programs, with ASU winning in a previous Sun Bowl battle in 2014 36-31. Duke is also the first conference champion to play in that season’s Sun Bowl.
ASU ended the regular season 8-4 and 6-3 in Big 12 play. The defending Big 12 champions entered the season ranked No. 11 in the AP Top 25, but a rash of key injuries impacted the team, including starting quarterback Sam Leavitt missing nearly half the year. Despite the injuries, the team remained competitive and in the race for a spot in the conference championship game until the season finale.
The 2025 season was the last in which ASU and other former Pac-12 teams were tied to the conference’s bowl games. Beginning in 2026, the Sun Devils will be eligible for the Big 12’s tie-ins.
This will be ASU’s fifth game in the state of Texas since the start of the 2024 season.
The Sun Bowl will air on Dec. 31 on CBS 5. Kickoff is set for noon.
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