Last updated: November 1, 2026
The Territorial Cup returns to Tucson on Saturday, November 28, 2026, when Arizona hosts Arizona State in a rivalry that began in 1899, 13 years before Arizona became a state. The 2026 game will be the 100th Territorial Cup meeting. Arizona holds the cup after a 23-7 win in Tempe last November, when it forced five turnovers in the 99th meeting, and the trophy itself is recognized by the NCAA as the oldest rivalry trophy in college football.
Quick summary
- The first meeting was November 30, 1899: the Normal School of Arizona (now ASU) beat Arizona 11-2 in Tucson.
- Arizona won the 2025 game 23-7 in Tempe and holds the Territorial Cup.
- The original cup was lost for decades and found in 1980 in a church vault next to ASU’s campus.
- The 2026 game on November 28 in Tucson is the 100th meeting, and the third since both schools joined the Big 12.
The Territorial Cup Trophy
According to the Territorial Cup history, the Normal School won all three of its 1899 games and was awarded a silver-plated cup. The trophy went missing after that season and resurfaced in 1980 in the vault of a church next to ASU’s campus. The NCAA later authenticated it as college football’s oldest rivalry trophy. Since 2001 it has traveled between the schools under an agreement signed by their presidents, with the winner receiving a replica after the game.
The all-sports series
Since 2009-10, the schools have also competed in a year-long Territorial Cup Series across about 20 head-to-head sports, with football breaking ties. Arizona led that series heading into 2026.
Recent Arizona vs. Arizona State Results
- 2025: No. 25 Arizona 23, No. 20 ASU 7 (Tempe)
- 2024: ASU 49, Arizona 7 (Tucson), the first Big 12 meeting
- 2023: Arizona 59, ASU 23 (Tempe), the last Pac-12 meeting
- 2022: Arizona 38, ASU 35 (Tucson)
- 2021: ASU win, later vacated
- 2020: ASU 70, Arizona 7 (Tucson)
The blowouts have swung both ways in recent years, which makes the series hard to predict from one season to the next.
Games That Defined the Rivalry
1986: Arizona ends ASU’s perfect run
No. 14 Arizona beat No. 4 ASU 34-17 in Tucson, spoiling the Sun Devils’ unbeaten season.
2010: two blocked kicks
ASU won 30-29 in double overtime in Tucson after blocking two Arizona extra-point attempts.
2014: South title on the line
No. 11 Arizona beat No. 13 ASU 42-35 with the Pac-12 South title at stake, then went on to the Fiesta Bowl.
2018: the comeback
ASU rallied from 19 points down in the fourth quarter to win 41-40 in Herm Edwards’ first season.
The 2026 Game
Arizona, in Brent Brennan’s third season, hosts ASU, in Kenny Dillingham’s fourth, at Casino Del Sol Stadium. As the regular-season finale, the game can affect Big 12 standings and bowl positioning for both teams, and the winner keeps the oldest trophy in the sport.
🗳️ Vote: Make your prediction for Arizona vs. Arizona State on RallyFuel (Nov. 28)
What to watch
- Home field: Tucson hosts in even years, and ASU’s 2024 rout came in Tucson.
- Margins: The last three games were decided by 36, 42 and 16 points, so a close finish would be a change of pace.
- Big 12 stakes: With a full conference slate behind them, both teams could be playing for postseason position.
Why the Rivalry Still Matters
The game has outlasted territorial status, statehood, conference changes from the Border Conference to the WAC, Pac-10, Pac-12 and now the Big 12. Through every move, the two schools kept playing each other at the end of the season. For fans in Tucson and Tempe, the result carries for a full year, at work, at home and across a state that splits its loyalties down the middle. Few rivalries anywhere can match that history, and fewer still are played for a trophy that predates the state itself.
The NIL Angle
Both programs now operate in the revenue-sharing era, with the Big 12’s bigger media footprint raising the stakes. Read how ASU athletes earn NIL money and NIL opportunities at Arizona, and see where this game ranks among college football’s best rivalries.
Follow the rosters on RallyFuel: Arizona football and Arizona State football, including quarterback Cutter Boley, or browse the Big 12 page.
FAQ
What is the Territorial Cup?
It is the trophy for the Arizona vs. Arizona State football game, first awarded in 1899 and recognized by the NCAA as college football’s oldest rivalry trophy.
Who won the 2025 Territorial Cup?
No. 25 Arizona beat No. 20 Arizona State 23-7 in Tempe on November 28, 2025.
When is the 2026 Territorial Cup game?
Saturday, November 28, 2026, in Tucson. It will be the 100th meeting in the series.
Where was the Territorial Cup found?
In 1980, in the vault of a church next to ASU’s campus, after being lost for decades.
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