"Activate the Valley."
These words have reverberated around ASU football ever since head coach Kenny Dillingham joined the Sun Devils last year. And these words have largely come to fruition.
In his second year at the helm, Dillingham has led the team that was predicted to finish last in the Big-12 conference to a 5-2 record. Through seven games, ASU has had sellout crowds at home, a statement-upset win against No. 17 Utah, and is only one victory away from clinching bowl eligibility.
It appears the team led by Dillingham has the Valley believing.
But Dillingham's aspirations don't end in bowl appearances, and they don't end in sellout crowds. The former offensive coordinator at Oregon and Scottsdale native has repeatedly harped on his desire to make ASU football a powerhouse program, one reminiscent of large football-oriented schools in the Southeastern Conference. In his opinion, he believes the Valley is a great place for such an environment.
But is that really the case?
Limitations in the Valley
Dillingham is adamantly trying to make a program where Mountain America Stadium is the only place to be on Saturdays. However, several limitations come with the surrounding area. One of them is fan access.
Because of the Valley's sprawled-out nature, home games might be unattainable for Sun Devil fans without cars. And considering the Big 12's spread-out nature, fans won't be able to access the vast majority of away games without flying cross-country. That's not to mention the desert heat, which can make everything harder and less enjoyable in terms of fan experience.
Such details can feel petty. Once the team succeeds, fans will make an effort to get around these limitations, right? But Dillingham has said that this phenomenon is not the case in college football — fan support comes first, success comes second.
Thus, Dillingham has to get the Valley on board if he wants to build a powerhouse program in Tempe. Such a task becomes increasingly difficult because college football isn't as ingrained in the culture in the same way it can be in the South. There are so many other sports and teams to watch in the Phoenix area, which is often not the case for the schools in the SEC, like Mississippi State.
"There's not many distractions other than college football, and that culture is why the kids play so passionately down there," Dillingham said. "Nobody's talking about the Diamondbacks, nobody's talking about the Suns, nobody's talking about the Cardinals. It's 'Oh, it's Mississippi State Bulldog football, it's go-time.'"
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Opportunities in the Valley
But all of the aforementioned limitations may not matter when considering the sheer volume of people in the Valley. With over five million residents, the Phoenix area is the tenth largest metro in the country. ASU also has the largest undergraduate population of any college in the state as of 2022.
"We need 10% of the city to be an ASU fan and this is going to be one of the craziest environments in college," Dillingham said.
Additionally, ASU already has a core fanbase with passionate followers to build off of. These fans are diehards, who still manage to bring an extremely positive fan culture. Many people already love ASU. Dillingham just needs more.
"The biggest thing is I'm not seeing a lot of negative, and I love that," senior running back Cam Skattebo said. "I love when people aren't being negative toward me or our team. Everyone's in for support."
This fanbase has already brought sellout crowds to Mountain America Stadium this season. Such increased attention could lead to better future recruits. High school football has a strong reputation in the Valley, while top football states in the country, like Texas, are close to Tempe.
ASU has the potential to bring in top recruits year after year.
"Being in the Big 12, we're going to play more games in Texas," Dillingham said. "So that's going to be one of our footprints ... It's great for us to have more Texas kids on the roster than there's ever been, and now we have back-to-back games there."
The biggest key: funding
Much of ASU's push to become a powerhouse will ultimately depend on finances. Top school officials, like ASU President Michael Crow and athletic director Graham Rossini, will be key catalysts in convincing donors to give money. Without top-notch facilities and resources, college football programs rarely transcend into elite categories.
Dillingham is confident in the University's ability to accomplish these things.
"I know with Graham (Rossini), I know with the new leadership, that we're going to be a program that can sustain this," Dillingham said. "They've made guarantees to me that they're going to invest to make this one of the best programs in the country."
Alongside Dillingham, Crow is also confident in where the athletic department is taking this program.
"I couldn't be happier with how we've gotten off the blocks, how we're doing, how we're moving forward," Crow said. "(Rossini) builds competency. He's engaged in the most complicated issues."
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Dillingham has one main goal — to turn a program with no history of being a powerhouse into a powerhouse, all from the ground up. There's a good chance that such a process could take a very long time. While the goal itself seems possible due to the opportunities the Valley holds, such success may be unprecedented considering the area's limitations.
But with Dillingham, who's already bringing the Sun Devils to unexpected places, it appears anything could be possible with time, even the unprecedented.
"Once this place gets rocking, it'll never fall again," Dillingham said.
Edited by Henry Smardo, Sophia Braccio and Alysa Horton.
Reach the reporter at jwkartso@asu.edu and follow @kartsonis3 on X.
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Jack is a sophomore studying sports journalism. This is his second semester with The State Press. He has also worked at other student journalism organizations.
