Arizona State arch-rival Arizona could cut athletic programs

The Territorial Cup, matchups between Arizona State and Arizona, is one of the biggest rivalries west of the Mississippi. In any sport where these two institutions collide, there’s bad blood. Even when ASU’s Division 1 level hockey program took on Arizona’s club team in an exhibition, it mattered.

After the game ASU hockey coach Greg Powers mentioned how fans in Tempe and Tuscon alike don’t care about the discrepancy between a Division 1 program and a club team.

“Out of respect for that rivalry, and out of respect for our University and our fans, we had an obligation to play hard,” Powers said. “And our guys did. It’s as simple as that.”

Arizona State won 16-0.

That’s just the competitiveness of the rivalry, regardless of sport. Yes, football and men’s basketball get the most eyes, but anytime an ASU program matches up against a U of A program, it’s important.

However, it looks like there could be some changes headed toward the University of Arizona that jeopardize some of those contests.

University of Arizona potentially cutting athletic programs

The University of Arizona is now facing a $240 million school-wide shortage following significant miscalculations in its financial modeling.

“Everything’s on the table in terms of dealing with athletics,” Arizona president Robert Robbins told Tucson.com. “This is an issue that is going to require a lot of tough decisions.”

The Wildcats are entering the Big 12 starting in 2024, along with the Sun Devils. The Wildcats currently field 23 varsity teams, which is six more than the Big 12 average. Many of those programs are in the dangerous position of risking being cut in order to save funding. In order to be a Division 1 school, they must sponsor 16 varsity teams.

That means U of A could cut as many as seven programs in order to deal with its financial crisis.

They also must sponsor seven varsity teams for women and seven varsity teams for men.

For all we know, some Arizona State vs Arizona matchups may happen for the last time ever in 2023.

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