Territorial Cup Series

The Territorial Cup Series (also known as the Duel in the Desert Series) is the yearlong rivalry competition between the University of Arizona Wildcats (UA) and the Arizona State University Sun Devils (ASU). The series first started in 2009 and State Farm was the original sponsor until 2012 (both universities are currently seeking new sponsorship). Although without an official sponsor, media outlets[1] and both universities[2][3] continue to track and promote the series records.

The Territorial Cup Series
Arizona (5)Ties (2)Arizona State (4)
2009–10
2010–11
2011–12
2017–18
2019–20		 2012–13
2018–19		 2013–14
2014–15
2015–16
2016–17

The name comes from the Territorial Cup, the trophy that is awarded to the winner of the annual football game between the two schools.

History

At the beginning of the 2009–10 school year, both UA and ASU decided to start a rivalry series, since they wanted to expand the rivalry in all sports. Also, the rivalry series wasn’t for only sports, but between the two largest metropolitan cities in Arizona, Phoenix and Tucson, where the schools were located,[4] and to create a trophy for the series’ winner. The winner would keep the trophy until the next school year.

Point system

Points are awarded for all sports in which both schools maintain an intercollegiate team during the school year. Each sport is worth one point, which is awarded to the winner of the head-to-head match up between the two teams. If the head-to-head match up ends in a tie, each team receives half a point. In baseball and softball, all games, both conference and non-conference, count as one point combined. In swimming and diving, cross country, golf, and track and field, whichever team finishes higher in the standings at the Pac-12 championship receives one point. In addition, games between the schools in Pac-12 tournament and NCAA tournament play will count towards the series as well. Should the two universities finish tied, neither school wins the series. Prior to the current point system, there were debates between the two universities over the winner of the 2012-13 edition. Under the rules at the time, Arizona claimed to be the winner because new terms were not agreed upon they winning the series outright 9½−8½ with their victory in the baseball series.[5] However, the sponsor had dropped the series and had not updated the rules. ASU added men’s indoor track and field, which was not initially part of the scoring nor was it agreed by both universities to add as an official event, and claims they won by winning the point in the track and field and possessing the Territorial Cup by winning the 2012 football matchup. However, it was decided that the schools would settle for the series to end in a tie that season to solve the matter.[6] The 2019−20 season for all collegiate athletics were cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic with Arizona being declared the winner due to leading the series at the time.

Trophy

The winner of the series receives a silver Territorial Cup Series trophy. One university must accumulate at least 11 points or more to win the trophy outright. When the trophy is won, the logo of the winner is featured at the top of it. If UA wins, a block “A” logo is placed on top of the trophy. If ASU wins the trophy, a “Sparky the Sun Devil” logo (not the current ASU “pitchfork” logo) will be placed. If both schools finish tied at 10½ points, the series ends in a tie and the school who won the previous season retains the trophy. There have been two ties in the series’ history, in 2012-13 and 2018-19, with UA retaining the trophy in both seasons due to winning it in the 2011-12 and 2017-18 seasons respectively.[7][8]

UA won the trophy for the first three seasons in which the series began. In the 2012-13 season, both schools each claimed to have won the trophy due to a point dispute before settling for a tie. ASU would capture the trophy in the 2013-14 season and held it for four years before UA reclaimed it in 2017-18. After a tie in 2018-19, UA retained it in 2019-20 before the season was cut short in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak and is currently in possession of it as of the 2020-21 season.

Yearly results

Arizona leads series 5–4–2

School year Winner Total points
2009–10 Arizona 10½–7½
2010–11 Arizona 11½–6½
2011–12 Arizona 12½–5½
2012–13 Tie 9½–9½†
2013–14 Arizona State 11½–8½
2014–15 Arizona State 12½–7½
2015–16 Arizona State 12½–7½
2016–17 Arizona State 10½–8½
2017–18 Arizona 11–10
2018–19 Tie 10½–10½†
2019–20 Arizona 7½–4½‡
2020–21 TBD TBD
  • †Season ended in a tie due to each school earning the same amount of points.
  • ‡2019−20 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Arizona was declared winner with the most points.

Current standings

2020-21 Schedule
DATE SPORT LOCATION Result UA
Points		 ASU
Points
December 10, 2020 Women's Basketball Tucson - McKale Center Arizona 65, ASU 37 ½ 0
December 11, 2020 Football Tucson - Arizona Stadium ASU 70, Arizona 7 0 1
January 21, 2021 Men's Basketball Tempe - Desert Financial Arena Arizona 84, ASU 82 ½ 0
January 25, 2021 Tucson – McKale Center Arizona 80, ASU 67 ½ 0
February 28, 2021 Women's Basketball Tempe - Desert Financial Arena UA, ASU 0 0
February 24−27, 2021 Women's Swimming & Diving - Pac-12 Championship Federal Way - Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center UA, ASU 0 0
March 5, 2021 Volleyball Tucson - McKale Center UA, ASU 0 0
March 5, 2021 Women's Cross Country - Pac-12 Championship Tacoma - Tacoma Track and Field Stadium UA, ASU 0 0
Men's Cross Country - Pac-12 Championship UA, ASU 0 0
February 24−27 & March 3−6, 2021 Men's Swimming & Diving - Pac-12 Championship Federal Way - Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center UA, ASU 0 0
March 6, 2021 Women’s Gymnastics Tempe - Desert Financial Arena UA, ASU 0 0
March 7, 2021 Volleyball UA, ASU 0 0
March 16, 2021 Women's Soccer Tucson – Murphey Field at Mulcahy Soccer Stadium UA, ASU 0 0
TBD Women's Indoor Track and Field - Pac-12 Championship Seattle - Dempsey Indoor Track and Field UA, ASU 0 0
Men's Indoor Track and Field - Pac-12 Championship UA, ASU 0 0
TBD Softball TBD UA, ASU 0 0
TBD UA, ASU
TBD UA, ASU
April 16, 2021 Women's Tennis Tucson - Lanelle Robson Tennis Center UA, ASU 0 0
Women's Soccer Tempe – Sun Devil Soccer Stadium UA, ASU 0 0
April 17, 2021 Men's Tennis Tempe - Whiteman Tennis Center UA, ASU 0 0
TBD Women's Beach Volleyball Tempe - Pera Club UA, ASU 0 0
TBD Tucson - Bear Down Beach UA, ASU 0 0
TBD Baseball TBD UA, ASU 0 0
TBD TBD UA, ASU
TBD UA, ASU
TBD UA, ASU
April 23−25, 2021 Women's Golf - Pac-12 Championship Stanford - Stanford Golf Course UA, ASU 0 0
April 26−28, 2021 Men's Golf - Pac-12 Championship Santa Rosa - Mayacama Golf Club UA, ASU 0 0
May 14−16, 2021 Men's Track & Field - Pac-12 Championship Los Angeles - Cromwell Field & Loker Track Stadium UA, ASU 0 0
May 14−16, 2021 Women's Track & Field - Pac-12 Championship UA, ASU 0 0
TOTALS:   1½ 1

References
  1. http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/asu/2017/05/15/asu-clinches-fourth-consecutive-territorial-cup-series-undisputed-title/321981001/?cookies=&from=global
  2. http://www.arizonawildcats.com/news/2017/3/1/wildcat-wednesday.aspx
  3. http://www.thesundevils.com/news/2017/5/14/general-sun-devils-claim-fourth-straight-territorial-cup-series-title.aspx
  4. "UA, ASU to begin annual sports rivalry series this fall". Arizona Daily Star. August 15, 2009.
  5. "Arizona wins fourth straight Territorial Cup Series".
  6. "The Dispute".
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2014-04-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. http://www.thesundevils.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30300&ATCLID=209410037
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