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Who said Arizona State is a party school?
The NCAA revealed the latest measurements of Academic Progress Rate and these demonstrate the Sun Devils keep getting better in the classroom. Arizona State recorded a single year APR for all sports in 2014-15 of 987, which is an all-time high. The ASU football team rose to a multi-year average of 960 behind a single-year record of 990, and the ASU men's basketball team earned a second consecutive multi-year rate above 990.
The fabulous work of ASU AD Ray Anderson is on display once again.
Out of 19 athletic programs, 9 of them show a perfect single-year APR of 1000 in 2014-15, while the women's volleyball, women's tennis, men's golf and baseball programs own a perfect five-year average. Additionally, women's tennis is the only team among the Division I Power Five conferences that has recorded perfect APR scores for the lifetime of the metric.
But let's focus on football, for once. And just as on the gridiron, the Territorial Cup belongs to Arizona State.
Single-yr APRs 4 Pac12 fball:
— Jon Wilner (@wilnerhotline) 20 avril 2016
Cal 997
Utah 997
ASU 990
CO 973
USC 973
Stan 971
Ore 967
UCLA 963
UW 962
WSU 962
Oregon State 956
Arizona 916
Single-year APRs clearly shows the disparity between ASU and Arizona. The Sun Devils found themselves at the top of the conference alongside California and Utah, while the Wildcats end up at the rock bottom with an APR of 916, a mile behind its closest opponent and the rest of the Pac-12.
Arizona also belongs to the bottom of the league in the multi-year rate category. However, ASU has not come out of the bottom-half of the conference standings (yet), but like California, they are both improving year after year. The Sun Devils had a multi-year rate of 937 four years ago.
Multi-yr APRs 4 Pac12 fball:
— Jon Wilner (@wilnerhotline) 20 avril 2016
Stanford 983
Utah 983
UW 974
UCLA 972
Ore 969
CO 968
WSU 965
ASU 960
Cal 960
USC 959
AZ 955
OSU 949
Arizona State won the Territorial Cup on the football field in November. Arizona State also won the Territorial Cup Series the last three years, and could go on a 4-year win streak if the Sun Devils men's golf team earns the last point to clinch the series next week. The latest APR results complete ASU's recent dominance over Arizona.
One could argue this whole theory is far-fetched. But in the end, instead of being angry, bitter or outraged about the rivalry, let's just view it from a brighter and funnier side. We talkin' about sports, man.
And now, Wildcat fans, this is your time to enter our comments.