The first game of ASU’s season is on Thursday. Aside from the usual game preview (stay tuned for my version this week), the chatter in Tempe includes the obvious: Todd Graham’s ASU coaching debut, the new and improved Sun Devil ‘speak victory’ philosophy, how Taylor Kelly will perform as quarterback, Cameron Marshall’s recovery, the list goes on.
For fans, however, Thursday’s game represents the start of another benefit of membership in Sun Devil nation: fun. Games at Sun Devil Stadium (and the tailgating that precedes them) are exciting. The student section of the stadium is a sea of gold and raucous fandom, and alumni, local families, and other fans usually sport some sort of ASU apparel (especially after Nike’s revamp of Sparky’s pitchfork). As with most programs, the Saturday evening kickoff is the most coveted, as plenty of time exists to enjoy the sun, food, drinks, and fun leading up to the game.
Sun Devil Stadium
Feelings about a Thursday kick-off are mixed, as 60,000+ students descended on the ASU Tempe campus last Thursday, and many of those students will be wrapping up evening classes on Thursday when the game begins. For non-football fans, this means increased traffic and road closures. For football fans, this means jockeying to get parking spots and adjusting schedules to get to campus in time for tailgating and kickoff.
Tailgating? You’re talking about tailgating? This is where ASU fans reign supreme, filling all of the parking lots surrounding the stadium. Thursday evening kick-offs (of which ASU has two this season) necessitate a level of strategy in order to keep an ASU-level of fun on a shortened timetable (since a large percentage of fans will be coming from work). Many ticket-holders are debating the merits of a true tailgate, compared to the convenience of visiting one of the many restaurants and bars that surround the stadium and campus. Mill Avenue offers a variety of options, and Tempe landmark Four Peaks is a short walk from Frank Kush Field (and will likely be packed on game day). The die-hard fans will undoubtedly still be in Lot 59, grills and cornhole games ready, but the optimum window for a good tailgate experience will be a small one for this particular game.
ASU is trying to push university-sponsored tailgates (and will undoubtedly get a relatively large audience of university employees and boosters), but all said and done it’s going to be the fans who dictate where the real party is.
