ASU-Arizona Territorial Cup among top 5 rivalries in nation, study says

The Territorial Cup is already recognized as the oldest rivalry trophy in college football, but a recent study confirms what folks in Tempe and Tucson have known for more than a century: The Duel in the Desert is one of the most intense, evenly matched rivalries in the nation.

According to a comprehensive college football rivalry index published by Betway, the annual clash between the Arizona Wildcats and the Arizona State Sun Devils ranks as the No. 4 rivalry in college football.

The index evaluated rivalries across five key metrics: historical length, frequency, competitiveness, fan perception and digital engagement. While the Wildcats and Sun Devils might not draw the same massive national media spotlight as some midwestern or southern matchups, the data shows the local hatred is unmatched.

Here is how the Arizona-ASU rivalry stacked up in the rankings:

Scoring a 71.73 out of 100 in the index, the battle for the Territorial Cup finished just behind the SEC’s famed “Third Saturday in October” rivalry between Alabama and Tennessee.

The top two spots went to the Army-Navy Game and the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma, respectively.

Unrivaled fan passion: The rivalry scored a 181.3 in fan intensity, the single highest score of any matchup analyzed. It outpaced the legendary Army-Navy game by 23.9 points.

Elite competitiveness: With Arizona holding 52 wins to ASU’s 45, the series earned a 92.9 competitiveness score. That ties the Army-Navy rivalry for the most competitive series in the top 10.

Historic but infrequent: First played in 1899, the rivalry is 128 years old. However, the teams have only met 99 times. That average of 0.77 meetings per year is the second-lowest frequency among the top 10 rivalries. It is worth mentioning, however, the game has been played every year since 1946.

“When considering the closeness of the rivalry and the intense passion from the fanbase, they deserve to be in fourth,” the study noted.

The digital disconnect

If there is one area holding the Territorial Cup back from a podium spot in the national rankings, it is the digital footprint.

The rivalry registered just 238,100 views on YouTube for top highlight packages, nearly half the total of the next-lowest matchup in the top 10. Despite the lack of casual national clicks online, the sheer on-field drama and local vitriol carry the matchup into the national elite.

How the index was built

The study, compiled with data true as of April 2026, normalized five key data points on a 0-to-1 scale to rank matchups evenly:

Rivalry length & frequency: Calculated using the earliest recorded meeting and dividing total matchups by the total years of the rivalry.

Competitiveness: Based on all-time win-loss-tie records to reward series with narrow gaps between win totals.

Fan Sentiment: Sourced from Know Rivalry data to measure how strongly both fanbases identify the opponent as their primary rival.

Digital Engagement: Sourced from aggregate YouTube search views for matchup highlights.

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