September 5, 2015. Less than two months until our Arizona State football team storms into NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas for their first game of the season against powerhouse Texas A&M. It will be a true test for our boys, and it will mark the beginning of the most celebrated season at ASU in years — where students are covered in maroon and gold from head to toe, passionately behind a team that has fueled so much excitement in recent years.
Coach Todd Graham is entering his fourth season as head of the Arizona State University football program. He has turned Tempe into a juggernaut, just one season away from creating a dynasty. Graham has led the Sun Devils to back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since 1973, three consecutive bowl appearances and a 28-12 record since his hire in December 2011. More importantly, Arizona State is 16-4 at home since he has been at the helm. Why such success at home? The passion of students, the university and the city of Tempe as a whole have revamped the program. Big things are happening here. Three of them in particular are elevating ASU Football to an unprecedented level: Camp Fargo, The Inferno and the Sun Devil Stadium renovations.
The recent tradition of Camp Fargo has consumed the ASU community. This past year all students were eligible to attend ASU football games because the athletic fee was included in the price of tuition. This not only increased anticipation for the best student section seats, but also lengthened the line at Camp Fargo. I camped out for multiple games this past season, and the atmosphere at Wells Fargo Arena waiting for tickets is nothing short of spectacular. You meet new people, chant the fight song several times and feel like a part of the ASU community more than ever before.
The best game of last season for me was the Notre Dame game. Several campers and I showed up a full week prior to the game. Camp Fargo grew to an astounding 275 campsites by Saturday. The line wrapped around the stadium nearly three times. Friday night at Camp Fargo was a party of maroon and gold. This upcoming season is poised to be an even bigger hit. I will be there camping out, and you should be too.
You can’t really explain The Inferno without being inside of it. Arizona State’s student section is relentless. The largest football student section in the PAC-12, upwards of 14,000 ASU students pack in The Inferno on game days deafening the opposing team. I have had the opportunity to sit in front of the section, and you lose your voice really quickly. Win or lose (mostly win), we back our Devils.
My favorite memory is when the song “Jump Around” came on after Lloyd Carrington returned a 58-yard interception back to the house, and we took a commanding 48-31 lead. You could literally feel the stadium rocking underneath your feet. Students were jumping, parents, grandmas, probably even toddlers. This year The Inferno is expanding. As a part of Sun Devil Stadium renovations, the student section will now be moved to the north and south end zones creating The Double Inferno. This is unparalleled. Just wait for the “Go Devils” chant from one side of the stadium to the other. Get ready to make incredible memories, fellow students.
A whopping $256 million dollars — that is the total cost of a three-phase renovation project lasting three years. Sun Devil Stadium will be completely reinvented by the start of the 2017 season. Phase 1 includes the creation of the new student section — The Double Inferno — as well as improvements in stadium features. These will include better air circulation, as well as upgraded restrooms and concessions and allow for better foot-traffic flow. ASU has removed a majority of the existing loge structure in the southwest and southeast corners. In addition, they have demolished the upper deck in the northeast end zone. Construction on the north end zone will be completed by the start of the season this fall. Phases 2 and 3 will be completed in 2016 and 2017. A new sound system and double-side scoreboard will be installed (finally), a state of the art 85,500-square-foot student-athlete training facility will be built under the north end zone with a patio deck, and premium seating will be added. I have been attending ASU football games my whole life, and I am so excited that this project will be completed by the beginning of my senior year. Sun Devil Stadium will be one of the top stadiums in the nation after these renovations are completed.
Sixty-seven days seems so close, yet so far away. All I know is that this upcoming season is going to be a blast. With the fan base being revived, this football program has no ceiling. “Forks Up” holds more power than ever before. With key home matchups this upcoming year against Oregon, USC and U of A, you better get your tents ready, students. It's going to be one hell of a ride!
