The Big 12 Champions hosted their first open spring practice Saturday night at the Kajikawa Practice Facility, allowing Sun Devil fans to check in right on the sidelines as the players went head-to-head for a competitive and padded session under the lights.

The Sun Devils' Saturday night festivities marked their third practice of 15 spring sessions, with the pace and competitiveness ramping up exponentially. Head coach Kenny Dillingham is fostering a patient atmosphere as the team continues to rev up to speed. However, the mantra all week has centered around reestablishing their fierce mentality that led to unprecedented success, with Dillingham blasting We Are the Champions and We Will Rock You from Queen’s legendary 1977 album News of the World. Despite switching to a more typical playlist on Saturday, Dillingham didn’t hold back on reaffirming that the standard is yet to reach its pinnacle in the early days of spring.

“I thought it was good work,” Dillingham said. “I thought the guys brought good energy, good physicality—pretty solid for day one. We're still rusty, obviously, on both sides of the ball. Pass pro is rusty right now, and some of our two-high coverages are fairly rusty out there, but I thought the intent was right. Guys were going at it pretty well today.

“We have to be better than last year. There's going to be another team, or multiple teams, that are better than they were last year, and we have to be a better football team. And I think right now, we're not—we've got a long way to go.”

Perhaps the only goal more critical for Arizona State than shaking off the rust is maintaining health. Due to this, redshirt junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and senior safety Myles Rowser missed out on Saturday’s festivities due to minor injuries.

“We held out (Tyson) and (Rowser). JT got stepped on the other day—he's got a bruise, and I ain't putting him in anything unless he's 120%. And really, the same situation with Rowser,” Dillingham said. “We're going to be really protective with the guys who have earned the right to be really protected.”

With fans in attendance, the spectacle of ASU football was at its peak through three days of spring practices. As a Valley native, Dillingham was ecstatic to give fans from decades and generations of Sun Devil support the chance to witness the team without restriction.

“We bring the fans here because they deserve to be here,” Dillingham said. “This is their football team, right? This is a community's football team. The people come to watch us, and it's entertainment at the end of the day. So, to be able to ignite and get people around the program this time of year and get excited about it is important to me.

“We don't have any secret plays… so it's more just about the fun, the atmosphere, the energy that they brought. And I think the fans out here brought it today—heck of a turnout, and our guys thrive off it.”

As the Arizona Diamondbacks get their 2025 season underway less than 10 miles from downtown Tempe and ASU’s campus, it serves as a constant reminder that the Phoenix Metro area has boomed into one of the largest in the country. This means that any program not performing at a high level is susceptible to dips in attendance or buzz, particularly at the collegiate level. While the Sun Devils aren’t currently facing issues in that department, if they want to continue to encourage strong support, their play on the field will set the precedent.

“I've said it all along—this is a front-running state,” Dillingham said. “So, when we're winning, more people show up. I'm from here, so I'm allowed to say it—everybody knows it. People love a winner around here. So, if we're winning, people will show up. If we're losing, people won't show up.”

With the new pieces continuing to gel with the experienced roster, despite Dillingham’s minor gripes, the effort level displayed by the roster thus far has been potent through three practices. Players are yelling, running, and battling, which is encouraging scrappy behavior from both sides of the ball early on—a positive sign for Dillingham and the culture he continues to cultivate in Tempe.

“I said we recruit competitive people,” Dillingham noted. “We just got to keep bringing competitive people into the program—people that want to be here. People that aren’t tricked into being here. (We want players) who choose to be here. It’s not a hostage situation—it’s a choice to be a part of the program and to continue to be a part of it, and I think you can see that.”

During the early stages of the 2024 campaign, a consistent question mark raised by media and the coaching staff—including Dillingham—was a concern about the team’s ability to “respond to adversity,” a necessary mental assessment of the young men and their fortitude in high-pressure situations. What occurred in the weeks following was an incredible level of resolve from both sides of the ball that led to a Big 12 Championship title and an appearance in the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history.

Well, in 2025, last season’s proven ability is out the window for Dillingham. With the early stages of spring practice continuing on in an icebreaker-style setting, it’s only a matter of time before the Sun Devil staff turns the heat up on the players.

“We're in day three right now, and it's going to become more challenging as spring progresses,” Dillingham said. “Obviously, we're back, and people are excited, and there's people out here, and it's a night practice—it's 70 degrees—you can see a mountain in the background, it's beautiful out here. If you can't want to practice here right now, we're in trouble.

“I'm hoping for a really hot day here. Hoping for a day where one side of the ball gets their butt kicked. I want to see something where we have to respond—not just this back and forth. Which, as a coach, you want to see back and forth because it shows a good team. But I want to see a side of the ball have to respond.”

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