A new era for Sun Devil Athletics

This past year was a wildly successful one for Sun Devil Athletics and significant in many ways—marked by record attendance across multiple sports and a resurgent football program that captured the Territorial Cup, Big 12 Championship and advanced to the College Football Playoff. ASU claimed four Big 12 titles—tied for the most of any school—and added five conference runner-up finishes. Individually, Naomi Ruff brought home a national championship in triathlon, further highlighting the elite caliber of our student-athletes. We also finished very strong in the classroom with three Big 12 Scholar-Athletes of the Year and another NCAA Elite 90 winner, while also keeping our place as the Big 12’s top producer of Academic All-Americans. 

The recent NCAA v. House settlement marks a transformative milestone in the landscape of college athletics. With decades-old models evolving rapidly, Arizona State University remains committed to shaping the future by supporting our student-athletes at the highest levels.
 

The House settlement signals the most significant legal and operational shift in NCAA history, affirming the right of student-athletes to receive enhanced benefits—including shared revenues—and recognizing their vital contributions to college athletics. This decision redefines the model of amateurism and elevates the student-athlete experience across all sports.
 

Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities will continue to expand, with future frameworks bringing more structure, transparency, and institutional alignment. One key development is the launch of the new NIL Go platform, managed by Deloitte. This platform will streamline the reporting and approval process for third-party NIL agreements—enhancing transparency while protecting student-athletes’ eligibility.

ASU and the Sun Angel Collective are fully engaged in this evolving space and will continue to support our student-athletes with best-in-class tools, education, and resources to help them responsibly build and manage their personal brands.
 

The Sun Devils will fully participate in providing allowable enhanced benefits to student-athletes as outlined in the House settlement. Additionally, thanks to the support of President Crow, we plan to add more than 200 new athletics scholarships—a transformational investment that benefits every sport in our quest for resourcing our student-athletes at the highest level and furthering our pursuit of championships in all sports in which we compete.

ASU will continue working with national partners, including the College Sports Commission, to integrate tools like LBi Software’s reporting solutions to help ensure our benefit programs meet all compliance standards while maximizing impact for student-athletes across all disciplines. A great resource to bookmark is available here.
 

None of this progress would be possible without you. The growth of the resources we have received and generated over the past 18 months has been extraordinary. Thanks to the unwavering support of our fans, alumni, corporate partners, generous donors, and of course the Sun Angel Collective for our accelerated growth and ability to drive meaningful, responsible impact.

Our student-athletes—and our department and university—bring measurable value to the businesses they help promote. We encourage companies of all sizes to explore NIL partnerships that elevate their brand and expand their reach through authentic, high-visibility collaboration with Sun Devils.

Together, we are building a future-forward model that puts our athletes first— in the classroom, on the field, and in the marketplace.
 

As we embrace this new era, your continued support is more vital than ever. The future of Sun Devil Athletics requires incremental revenue growth to meet rising costs and ensure we can support our student-athletes at the highest level—across all sports.

Here’s how you can play a part in that growth:

🏟️ Buy season tickets and fill our venues with Sun Devil pride as our momentum is as strong as it has been in decades, as evidenced by over 95% season ticket renewal rate for our upcoming football season and nearly 7,000 new season ticket holders on board

🎓 Donate to the Sun Devil Club, including support for program and scholarship endowments

🤝 Engage with ASU as a corporate partner—through sponsorships or NIL campaigns

📈 Leverage NIL to promote your business—Sun Devil student-athletes deliver unmatched reach, credibility, and energy to the brands they align with

Whether you're a small business or a national enterprise, there has never been a better time to partner with Sun Devil Athletics and our nearly 700 student-athletes. This is more than support—it’s a smart investment in visibility, growth, and impact.

Visit SunDevils.com to learn more, explore impact stories, and join us in shaping the future of Sun Devil Athletics.

Onward,

Graham Rossini
Athletics Director
Arizona State University