ASU’s Graham Rossini on building new football practice facility: ‘It’s a matter of when, not if’
ASU athletic director Graham Rossini said on Friday that the university is planning to build a new football practice facility in Tempe.
Watch: State of the Sun Devils: Who will start for ASU football this season? | 30 mins
ASU athletic director Graham Rossini said on Friday that the university is planning to build a new indoor football facility in Tempe.
“It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,” Rossini told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta. “The final designs aren’t done but we’re working hard with a lot of folks on that effort right now. This fall we will have the footprint designs to understand everything this facility will be.”
Rossini said that the facility will be in lot 59, which is on the northeast side of Mountain America Stadium.
“Every minute in a football day is important, so having the convenience where the facility is gonna be in lot 59 adjacent to Mountain America Stadium is really important,” Rossini said.
The news comes as the football program had been in the fundraising stage with plans to open the new facility in time for the 2027 season opener. The new facility would also provide a tailgate space for fans on game days.
asu football is fundraising $15 million with additional help from the school for an indoor facility closer to mountain america stadium that will double as tailgate real estate
kenny dillingham said they hope to have the $15 million within 5mo and shovel in the ground within 6mo pic.twitter.com/RfHNFbGjdg
— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) July 30, 2025
ASU is currently holding practices outdoors at Bill Kajikawa Practice Fields and the Verde Dickey Dome. Players have to be shuttled over from the other side of Rural Road to get to the facilities.
Head coach Kenny Dillingham said on Aug. 11 that an indoor facility should be built pretty quickly, especially after the Sun Devils were ranked No. 11 in the Associated Press’ preseason poll.
Rossini added on Friday that the facility will provide a great setting for multiple uses throughout the football season for not just the players and coaches, but fans as well.
“We think there’s an opportunity to have a football facility that does a great job during the week getting the guys ready to play, and then on a Friday we flip it over to this unbelievable fan zone and tailgate spot and a great place to watch other games and a great place to come (together) as Sun Devils on a gameday as well,” Rossini said.
New ASU football facility a great tool for Dillingham, coaching staff
Rossini said a new facility will be a great tool for Dillingham and the coaching staff to utilize in order for the program to improve throughout the season.
“It’s really designed around what are the tools our coaches need to teach every single day and coach and to make sure that this team is progressively getting better from a Monday to a Friday in a game week and an August Saturday to a December Saturday and everything in between,” Rossini said.
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Comments
6 Comments
In the meantime, Play-in Bobby gets new nets and a case of socks....
Duuuudeee - Given I went to the first game ever played at McKale (1973) as a pup and have been to probably 90 games over the years, I think I know. I even have been to McKale North both in Tempe and the MGM Grand. Keep up with this. Desert Financial Arena, where the scumdevils play, is an outdated, 70's monolith. I compared it to a famous midtown Phoenix shopping mall Christown, which was so old and decrepit, they tore down the walk-through part and now it's a drive-up 'center,' not a mall. Has like Burlington, Big 5, Dollar Tree, Ross.. Get it? Discount stores cuz ASU is a discount team. See how that works? Set up, lock in, and resolution.
Dude, what are you talking about-(?). McKale is the name of the facility that the U of A plays in down in Tucson, and given the amount of games they've won in Tempe over the last 30+ years, it's theirs . . . Hence, Mckale North; try to keep up.