Territorial Cup Series begins

September 29, 2010

Eighteen Arizona State University and University of Arizona varsity intercollegiate sports teams will compete against one another over the course of eight months for the rights to the State Farm Territorial Cup Series Trophy. The battle begins Oct. 1 when the Sun Devil volleyball team travels to Tucson.<separator></separator>State Farm Territorial Cup Rivalry Series Competition Rules and Scoring Each sport will be worth one point. If the teams play once in a given season (football), then that game counts as one point. For basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, volleyball, gymnastics and softball, sports in which the teams play more than once in a given season, all regular season games count towards the season series tally, including the non-conference games. For swimming and diving, cross country, golf, and track and field only, one point is awarded to whichever team finishes higher in the Pac-10 Championship (for these sports no other postseason competitions will count towards the series). For a school to be the winner of the State Farm Territorial Cup Series Trophy, they must accumulate 9.5 points.<separator></separator>If teams split the regular season match-ups, then each team receives a 1/2 point for that sport. Pac-10 and NCAA Tournament games can count toward determining season series winner. (i.e. basketball splits regular season meetings and then plays in the Pac-10 Tournament, whichever school wins 2 of 3 games is awarded the point).<separator></separator>In the event of a tie at the end of the series, the following tie-breakers will be used: 1. University with higher finish in the Director's Cup Standings 2. Winner of the Territorial Cup football game<separator></separator>Arizona vs. Arizona State - A History of the `Duel' "The Duel in the Desert" rivalry dates back to when Arizona had not yet been admitted as a state and was still just a U.S. Territory. Resentment between the cities of Phoenix and Tucson emerged in the early years of the southwestern area, and in 1885, the University of Arizona was founded as the state's first university. The same year, Tempe Normal School was developed as a small teacher's college in the farming community of Tempe, just east of Phoenix. Over the years, Tempe Normal School evolved into Arizona State Teacher's College, then Arizona State College at Tempe, and eventually Arizona State University.<separator></separator>The football rivalry between the two schools dates back over 100 years. The Arizona Territorial Normal School football team was the first to claim the original Territorial Cup for winning the Arizona Territorial Football League Championship after a season of three games in 1899. The Normal`s, as they were known at the time, were undefeated in gridiron matches with the Phoenix Union High School (6-0), the Phoenix Indian School (6-0) and the University of Arizona (11-2).<separator></separator>The first "Big Game" against the University of Arizona was played on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 30, 1899 at Carillo Gardens field in Tucson before a vocal and enthusiastic crowd of 300 fans. Newspaper accounts suggested this was the University team's first game and that the Normal squad was physically larger and better conditioned. The atmosphere was one of genuine sportsmanship as the University students met the Normal team at the train station, entertained them at a campus dormitory and hosted a post-game Thanksgiving feast.<separator></separator>The Territorial Cup is a trophy that is awarded annually to the winner of the college football game between the ASU Sun Devils and the UA Wildcats. Serving as the symbol of the long-standing rivalry between the two schools for over a century, the NCAA has certified it as the oldest award given for a rivalry game.<separator></separator>A Look Inside the Rivalry Women's soccer holds a 12-2-1 record in its all-time series against the Wildcats and this season hosts UA on Oct. 15.<separator></separator>The women's basketball team, which has won 10 in a row over the Wildcats dating back to the 2005-06 season, faces UA on Jan. 15 in Tempe and Feb. 12 in Tucson.<separator></separator>Men's basketball begins its two-game series on Jan. 15 in Tucson, where it has won three straight, and then continues in Tempe on Sunday, Feb. 12. ASU has won six of the past seven against the Wildcats overall.<separator></separator>Baseball, which has won eight of the last 10 meetings with Arizona, will play the first series of the season March 25-27 at Packard Stadium in Tempe before playing two games at UA, on April 5 and April 26, respectively.<separator></separator>Head men's golf coach <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-golf/mtt/lein_randy00.html">Randy Lein</a> has finished better than Arizona in 14 of his 18 years at the Pac-10 Championships and will have a chance to make it 15 at this season's conference championship, April 29-May 5, in Palo Alto, Calif.<separator></separator>Not only dominant over the Wildcats, Arizona State women’s golf has been one of the most dominant competitors in the Pac-10 Conference. With nine Pac-10 titles, ASU leads the league in most championships won. In the last eight years under head coach <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-golf/mtt/luellen_melissa00.html">… Luellen</a>, Arizona State has finished higher than Arizona at the Pac-10 Championships five out five out of the last six seasons, including Conference titles in 2009 and 2007. <separator></separator>In the last 10 meeting between the Sun Devils and the Wildcats, the Arizona State women's tennis program has out played Arizona 52-18, including winning the last eight consecutive match-ups. <img src="http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/asu/graphics/spacer.gif" border="0" alt width="1" height="4"> To learn more, check out <a href="http://www.territorialcupseries.com/">State Farm's Territorial Cup Series website</a>, look them up on facebook or head to a nearby State Farm office.

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