Life in the Big 12 is fast. If you blinked during the last few months of 2025, you probably missed the absolute whirlwind that was the Arizona State University football schedule. Coming off a season where Kenny Dillingham basically willed a roster into a conference title contender, the 2025 slate was a brutal, beautiful reminder of how high the stakes have become in Tempe.
It wasn’t just about the games; it was about the travel, the short weeks, and the "Friday Night Lights" experiment that actually worked.
The Sun Devils finished the 2025 regular season with an 8-4 record before a heartbreaking 42-39 loss to Duke in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl on New Year's Eve. Looking back, that schedule was a minefield. You had the high of beating #24 TCU on a Friday night in September, followed by the crushing reality of a 42-10 blowout in Salt Lake City against Utah.
Why the 2025 Non-Conference Slate Set the Tone
Everyone looks at the Big 12 games, but the season really took shape in those first three weeks. ASU opened with a 38-19 win over Northern Arizona. Routine? Sure. But Ty Pennington and the Lumberjacks made the Sun Devils sweat more than the scoreboard suggested.
Then came the Starkville trip.
Playing Mississippi State on the road is never "fun," but a 24-20 loss there proved two things: Sam Leavitt is the real deal, and the defense under Brian Ward could travel. They bounced back against a sneaky-good Texas State team, winning 34-15. Honestly, that Texas State game was a trap. People forget the Bobcats were coming off a massive year, and Dillingham's squad handled them with professional ease before diving into the Texas-heavy Big 12 schedule.
The Mid-Season Grind and Those Friday Night Experiments
The Big 12 is a different beast when it comes to scheduling. In 2025, ASU had to navigate two major Friday night games. The first was September 26th against TCU.
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Mountain America Stadium was vibrating.
A 27-24 win over the Horned Frogs felt like a statement. It was a short week after a tough road win at Baylor (another 27-24 nail-biter), and the Sun Devils looked exhausted but resilient. Jordyn Tyson emerged as a superstar during this stretch. If you weren't watching his route running in that TCU game, you weren't watching football.
Breaking Down the Road Hurdles
Let’s be real: the road schedule was a nightmare. Here is how those away games actually shook out:
- At Mississippi State: A 20-24 loss that felt like it could have gone either way.
- At Baylor: A massive 27-24 victory that served as the Big 12 conference opener.
- At Utah: A 10-42 disaster. Rice-Eccles Stadium remains a house of horrors for the Sun Devils.
- At Iowa State: A bounce-back 24-19 win in Ames. The weather was miserable, but the run game was better.
- At Colorado: A 42-17 statement win against Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes.
That Colorado game was interesting. Most experts predicted a cold-weather collapse for the desert team, but ASU dominated the line of scrimmage. It was the peak of the season, putting the Sun Devils in the hunt for a return to the Big 12 Championship.
The Territorial Cup and the Sun Bowl Aftermath
The final stretch of the Arizona State University football schedule is always defined by one game: Arizona.
On November 28th, the 99th Territorial Cup stayed in the hands of the Wildcats. A 23-7 loss at home was a bitter pill to swallow for Sun Devil fans. The offense just sputtered. After a season of high-scoring drama, they couldn't find the end zone when it mattered most.
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It led them to El Paso. The Sun Bowl against Duke was one of those games where defense was optional. A combined 1,158 total yards between the two teams set a bowl record. While the 42-39 loss wasn't the ending fans wanted, the 8-5 final record (including the bowl) was a massive leap from the previous era of ASU football.
What to Watch for in 2026
If you think 2025 was wild, the 2026 schedule is already looking like a logistical puzzle. The big highlight? The "Union Jack Classic."
Arizona State is headed to London.
On September 19, 2026, ASU will face the Kansas Jayhawks at Wembley Stadium. It’s the first time a Big 12 game has been held abroad, and the travel recovery will likely dictate the rest of their season. Before they even get to London, they have to survive a brutal road trip to College Station to play Texas A&M on September 12th.
The 2026 home slate includes:
- Morgan State (Sept 5)
- Colorado (Date TBA)
- Baylor (Date TBA)
- Oklahoma State (Date TBA)
- Kansas State (Date TBA)
The road schedule for 2026 is equally daunting, with trips to BYU, Texas Tech, and UCF on the horizon, alongside the return trip to Tucson for the Territorial Cup.
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Actionable Steps for Sun Devil Fans
If you're planning your year around the Arizona State University football schedule, you need a strategy. The move to the Big 12 means kickoff times are more volatile than they were in the Pac-12.
Secure Your Travel Early for 2026:
If you're planning on that London game, do not wait. The Big 12 is pushing the "international" brand hard, and tickets for the Wembley game are expected to sell out through conference-wide allotments before general public sales even hit.
Monitor the Friday Slates:
The Big 12 has made it clear that Friday games are here to stay. Keep your weekends flexible in late September and November.
Watch the Transfer Portal Impact:
With the 2025 season in the books, the roster will shift. The success of the 2026 schedule depends entirely on how Dillingham replaces key defensive departures. The "Activate the Valley" NIL collective will be the main driver here.
Checking the official Sun Devil Athletics site is a daily requirement at this point. The 2025 season proved that this team can compete with anyone, but the schedule is no longer a localized West Coast affair—it's a national gauntlet. Stay updated on the 2026 date announcements for the Big 12 conference games, as those are usually finalized by late winter or early spring.