Seeds for the Grand Canyon State’s longest standing football rivalry were sown on Thanksgiving Day more than a dozen years before Arizona achieved statehood.
The historic duel in the desert began on Nov. 30, 1899, when the University of Arizona in Tucson faced off against the Normal School of Arizona of Tempe (which later evolved into Arizona State University).
A crowd of 300 sports enthusiasts worked up an appetite on the sidelines – as the “Normals” posted an 11-2 win in what was rumored to be the University squad’s first match – followed by a post-game Thanksgiving celebratory feast for all.
Touchdown.
– Hannah Van Sickle, The Arizona 100