Arizona State named Big 12 Commissioner’s Cup recipient

Arizona State’s Big 12 Titles

Women’s Swimming and Diving

The Sun Devils won their first conference title in program history at the Big 12 Championships winning 14 individual titles in Federal Way, Washington. The team went 8-6 in the regular season in duals. 

Men’s Swimming and Diving 

The Sun Devils were able to win their third consecutive conference championship and the first Big 12 title winning 12 individual titles and sweeping the relays to establish their dominance within the conference all season long. Junior Jonny Kulow was named Big 12 Swimmer of the Meet and Lucien Vergnes was named men’s Freshman of the Meet. 

Football 

The Sun Devils also finished the season with an undefeated record at home for the first time since 2004 and just the tenth time in program history. Highlights from this season included a blowout opening home win against Wyoming with the second-highest student attendance recorded for an ASU home game with 13,698 students attending the game. Other highlights include a thrilling 28-23 win over No. 14 BYU and a crushing 49-7 victory over in-state rival Arizona in Tucson. By defeating No. 16 Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship and clinching their first outright conference championship since 1996, Arizona State secured a spot in the College Football Playoffs for the first time in program history. 

Volleyball 

ASU won the 2024 Big 12 championship as JJ Van Niel in his second season helped Arizona State win its first conference championship in program history. The team finished 30-3, going 17-1 in Big 12 play. 

Sun Devil Athletics Matches All-Time Best GSR

Sun Devil Athletics has either maintained or surpassed its all-time best GSR every year since 2008. Twelve teams posted GSR scores at 100 percent. Those teams are men’s and women’s basketball, beach volleyball, men’s and women’s golf, gymnastics, soccer, women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis, water polo and wrestling.

Highlights from the student programming areas:

CAREER: 

Sun Devil Athletics continues to elevate its partnership with ASU Career Services and hosted 15 career-related events to include a Career Fair, hands-on career readiness-related workshops involving multiple employers across various industries.  Student-athletes had direct one-on-one interactions with hiring managers who offered real-time feedback on resumes, interviewing strategies, and LinkedIn.

COMMUNITY SERVICE:

Sun Devil Athletics continued Sparky’s Tours, character education programs delivered in elementary schools, as well as the wide range of initiatives Sun Devil Athletics support in partnership with A New Leaf Homeless Shelter.

MENTAL HEALTH/IMPACT: 

Mental Health: Hosted multiple SAAC/SDA/ASU Sport Clinician collaborations around mental health topics, including a Mental Wellness Fair, along with other key programs addressing trauma, sleep, travel, managing emotions, gambling, etc. 

Impact Programs: EmpowHER hosted student-athlete tailgates before selected Olympic sports competitions to bring student-athletes together and encourage support for their peers at the selected game. The SAAC, International Student-Athlete committee hosted an affinity event in collaboration with ASU’s International Students and Scholars Center (ISSC).

What is the Big 12 Commissioner’s Cup?

The Commissioner’s Cup was created to recognize Big 12 athletic departments for their efforts in fostering an environment that develops student-athletes both on and off the field. Points are determined by a combination of NCAA Graduation Success Rate, Big 12 regular and postseason titles, plus on-campus programs offered that focus on community engagement, mental health and career development.