The Bay Area will host two former rivals and a Northern Californian version of the Territorial Cup. This connection is far-fetched but it is pretty funny to see that Arizona State and Arizona cannot be separated, even within another state.

Herb Sendek has been reportedly hired by Santa Clara to become the university's new head coach, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Meanwhile, all signs lead to believe that Damon Stoudamire is about to accept the head coaching job for the University of the Pacific, ESPN's Jeff Goodman reports.

The two protagonists already encountered each other many times by the past. Herb Sendek was Arizona State's head coach from 2006 to 2015, while Damon Stoudamire was sitting on Arizona's bench as an assistant coach under Sean Miller, from 2013 to 2015. The former NBA player and NBA Rookie of the Year (1995-96) was lately an assistant coach for the Memphis Tigers.

What is even funnier is that Santa Clara and Stockton, home of the two campuses, are 100 miles away, which is approximately the same distance separating the Tempe and Tucson campuses. Moreover, Broncos and Tigers are both members of the Western Coast Conference.

Santa Clara formed a handful of NBA players over the years, the most notable alumnus being Phoenix Suns legend and 2-time NBA MVP, Steve Nash. Somehow, with the hiring of Herb Sendek, Santa Clara is linked again with the Valley.