Arizona State’s first year in the Big 12 was full of growing pains and surprises. Football thrived with a championship run, while basketball and other programs faced challenges in a year of transition and fresh rivalries.

ASU’s First Big 12 Season: A Year of Wins, Woes, and Figuring It All Out

Arizona State’s 2024–25 sports season? Yeah, it was a little bit of everything. Some fireworks, some facepalms, and a whole lot of learning. When the Sun Devils packed their bags and left the Pac-12 behind for the ever-expanding Big 12, fans knew things were going to be different. But few expected this much of a rollercoaster.

Let’s start with the good stuff because, hey, there was plenty.

The football team didn’t just make noise; they stormed the Big 12 with a vengeance. In a league known for gritty competition and wild finishes, ASU football soared. Head coach Kenny Dillingham silenced every doubt (and there were plenty) by not only leading the Sun Devils to a Big 12 title but landing a spot in the College Football Playoff. That’s right, Year One, and they’re already crashing the playoff party.

No one outside Tempe really saw it coming. A program in transition. A roster in flux. A tougher schedule. But instead of excuses, ASU delivered wins. Big ones. They played fast, physical, and fearless. Quarterback play was sharp, the defense had teeth, and the energy? Off the charts. It felt like a statement season not just for football, but for ASU’s place in this new-look Big 12.

Now, onto the less pretty stuff.

Basketball. Both men’s and women’s programs, unfortunately, struggled to find their footing in their first Big 12 campaign. The competition was different. These aren’t your average Tuesday night matchups. Every week was a battle, and more often than not, ASU ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard. For fans used to more competitive squads, it was tough to watch.

The men’s team, in particular, couldn’t quite string together consistent performances. Hot one week, ice cold the next. And in a conference that runs deep like Kansas, Baylor, Houston-deep, that inconsistency cost them. The women’s side faced similar challenges, with a young rooster trying to keep pace against more seasoned Big 12 foes. It wasn’t for lack of effort, but the adjustment was real.

Other sports had their own growing pains, too. Track and field, volleyball, baseball, some decent moments, but nothing that really cracked through to national attention. It’s not that the talent wasn’t there. It’s just the Big 12 hits hard. And Arizona State, after decades in the Pac-12, is learning how to take those hits and throw a few back.

It’s important to remember that this was never going to be an easy shift. ASU had been in the Pac-12 since 1978. That’s nearly half a century of history, rivalries, and routines. Then, boom, new travel schedules, new recruiting battles, and a conference map that stretches from the dry Arizona desert to the snowy hills of West Virginia.

But the move also brought fresh opportunities. A bigger stage. A louder microphone. A chance to rewrite narratives and compete with programs that have been dominating headlines. Football took that challenge and sprinted with it. Other programs are still stretching out.

Off the field, the athletic department had its hands full, too. Budget realignments, new media rights logistics, and figuring out how to brand ASU in this different setting. There’s momentum, sure, but also a lot of behind-the-scenes work to get everything aligned.

And that’s probably the biggest takeaway from the 2024–25 season for Arizona State. This was a transition year. A wild, sometimes messy, sometimes thrilling learning curve. Not every team clicked. Not every gamble paid off. But the foundation is there.

The fan base is still adjusting, too. Some miss the old Pac-12 matchups, the late-night kickoffs, the traditional foes like USC and UCLA. But there’s also a curiosity, even excitement, about these new rivalries brewing with Baylor, Kansas State, and UCF.

Growth. Rebuilding. Regrouping. And probably more unpredictability.

But if football taught us anything this year, it’s that ASU isn’t just here to participate. They’re here to compete and, occasionally, shock the college sports world while they’re at it.

It’s a long road ahead in the Big 12, and it won’t always be smooth. But one thing’s for sure: Arizona State is in it, and they’re starting to make some noise.