Lifelong Loyalty: Longtime ASU Fans Rewarded as Championship Dream Became Reality

When Sun Devil Football stormed through the Big 12 to capture its first title in the new conference landscape, few felt the impact more deeply than the fans who had weathered decades of ups and downs. 

For longtime Sun Devil supporters like Steve Perez, Matt Jamieson, and Rich Dubek, the 2024 season wasn't just a championship year—it was a reward for a lifetime of loyalty, a validation of belief, and a rebirth of pride in maroon and gold.

In head coach Kenny Dillingham's second year, ASU defied national expectations. After years of national irrelevance and internal struggles, the Sun Devils rediscovered their identity, finishing the regular season 10–2 and defeating Iowa State to win the Big 12 Championship, punching a ticket to the College Football Playoff. The program's resurgence was powered by a palpable energy shift that radiated far beyond the locker room.

The 2024 campaign marked ASU's first conference crown since a Pac-10 co-championship under Dennis Erickson in 2007—and their first outright since 1996. But for those who had stayed loyal through the years, the wins were only part of the story.

Rich Dubek, who has been deeply involved with ASU for decades—as a season ticket holder, alum and media coach for student-athletes—said this season forged a more profound personal bond with the university. The cultural reset brought by Dillingham, a Tempe native and former Sun Devil quarterback, reignited something that had been long dormant in the community.

"I feel that I have a closer connection to the school, and I started to sense that when Kenny Dillingham came on board," Dubek said.

It wasn't just the on-field success that mattered, it was the way Dillingham embraced the school's identity and spoke directly to its alumni.

"I think Dillingham has connected us in a way that I did not anticipate," Dubek said. "I feel like he is truly one of us and has the ability to unite our massive alumni group in a way that it desperately needs to be united."

That feeling of belonging was amplified by Dillingham's now-signature mantra: Activate the Valley. What began as a phrase became a unifying mission to rally alumni, energize the local community and bring Phoenix pride back into Mountain America Stadium.

"When I first heard Kenny use the phrase 'Activate the Valley,' it immediately resonated, because it's something behind the scenes that so many alumni and former students have been talking about for so long," Dubek said.

He described a long-standing disconnect between the university's enormous presence in the state and its ability to inspire unity. The slogan gave voice to what many had felt but hadn't been able to name.

"We have one of the biggest universities in the country with a massive footprint in Arizona, but we've lacked in a lot of ways, trying to connect that passion and bringing it out from alumni, students and the fan base," he said. "So 'Activate the Valley' to me, meant tapping into this massive resource that speaks volumes about who we are and joining us together in a common cause."

For Steve Perez, a fan for more than five decades, the dream season was a culmination of everything he had waited for.

"I go all the way back to 1969," Perez said. "I grew up during the Frank Kush era. Those teams made me fall in love with ASU football and I've been riding the wave ever since."

Perez's devotion runs deep. He estimates that he's missed only one home game in over 50 years, a testament to the passion and persistence that define Sun Devil Nation.

"It didn't matter if it was 110 degrees or if we were 2–8," he said. "You show up. That's what being a Sun Devil means."

This season, for the first time in years, he felt that commitment being returned in kind by the program. From the intensity of practices to the cohesion on the field, something had shifted.

"You could feel the difference," Perez said. "The energy, the belief. It reminded me of the Rose Bowl season in '86; that kind of magic doesn't come around often."

That magic wasn't lost on fans like Matt Jamieson, either. For him, Activate the Valley evolved from just another catchphrase into a real cultural movement, something that bridged generations and brought people back into the fold.

"To be fair, when I first heard it, it seemed like just another cliché from another coach. I really didn't know what to believe with what was going on with the program," Jamieson said. "Once I started truly listening to the message that Coach Dillingham was putting out, I realized that 'Activate the Valley' truly is about keeping people home, bringing people back to Tempe."

Jamieson, a long-time season ticket holder, said Dillingham's authenticity and energy were what set him apart. It wasn't just about winning. It was about rebuilding trust and fostering pride.

The result wasn't just a Big 12 trophy—it was a reactivated fan base that had long been waiting for a reason to believe again. Fans like Dubek, Perez, and Jamieson never left. But now, they say, Sun Devil Nation is growing louder, stronger, and more united than it has been in decades.