ASU plans to spend $135 million for Desert Financial Arena, football practice facility

Arizona State University plans to spend a combined $135 million on renovating Desert Financial Arena and constructing a new football practice facility adjacent to Mountain America Stadium over the next three years.

The projected costs and timelines were presented to the University Governance and Operations Committee of the Arizona Board of Regents, which on Sept. 11 approved ASU’s Capital Improvement Plans for fiscal years 2027-30.

ASU got the green light to move forward with Desert Financial Arena renovations and building a new football practice facility.

Athletic director Graham Rossini told @BurnsAndGambo more about that process on the AD Update, presented by America Roofing. pic.twitter.com/oCQ0tALG3p

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) October 2, 2025

“Really appreciative that the Board of Regents and ASU leadership is supporting it,” athletic director Graham Rossini told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Thursday. “That just gets the process underway.

“So now we want to really engage a lot of the specific engineers and architects and contractors that can help bring these visions to life. We’re still working through a lot of the designs, a lot of the details on both (projects). But we need both of them, we’re hard at work on both of them and really excited that we’ve got an important green light to continue that effort.”

Arena renovations are projected to take up $100 million of the cost, with construction for both projects involving the athletics department scheduled to start in January 2027. Planning will begin early next calendar year.

Both athletic department projects are funded by system revenue bonds, which suggests revenues made at the facilities will help fund the projects themselves.

Among the planned renovations for the basketball arena are new video boards along with improvements to locker rooms, ADA access and restrooms. Upgrades to the roof, HVAC and electrical and fire safety systems are also included. The exterior plans for “a new Sun Devil Walk, statue garden, plaza, desert arboretum park and monument wall.”

The project has a projected finish date of December 2029.

The football practice facility is listed as the school’s top priority on its one-year capital plan for fiscal year 2027. It will convert an existing parking lot next to Mountain America Stadium to a turf field with covered protection from the sun.

It’s meant to cut down travel time between the weight and meeting rooms at Mountain America Stadium and practice, which currently involves a half-mile trip across Rural Road.

The new structure will be used as a “Fan Zone” to host events.

“The point is we want it to be the place to be,” Rossini said. “Much like the (WM Phoenix Open) is just a gathering place for the Valley for fans of all types, it’s a place you want to be in late January, we want Sun Devil football to be that same thing.

“We’re having a lot of (design) conversations right now, and we want to understand most importantly how does it maximize football goals, getting these guys ready week by week, but then when we flip it into game mode having it be this incredible, electric place to be. Good food, good music, good entertainment and a good place to come together with Sun Devil fans of all types.”

The team is aiming for the project to be completed by February 2028.

The funding is part of the university’s plan that amounts to $312 million total for 2027.

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