Territorial Cup Centennial Series: A brief history of the Cup
November 27, 2026 will mark the 100th playing of the rivalry between Arizona State and Arizona. Starting next week, we will examine 10 game stretches of the rivalry as a lead-up to November's game. To kick off this limited series, today's entry will be a history of the Cup itself, and how it came to be the traveling trophy between the two schools.
Manufactured by Reed and Barton of Taunton, MA, the trophy that would become the Territorial Cup was priced at $20 in Reed and Barton's 1910 catalog (approximately $705 in 2026 dollars). Silver plated over a Britannia base metal, it was presented to what was then the Tempe Normal School football team after their 11-2 win over the University of Arizona on November 30, 1899. The inscription on the Cup reads "Arizona Foot Ball League Champion 18599 Normal", reflecting two earlier wins by the Normals, 6-0 defeats of Phoenix Union High School and Phoenix Indian School.
The Cup's wherabouts over the next 80 years remain fuzzy. It was unearthed in 1983 with headlines surrounding its appearance, found by Mac Bohlman and Jim Riggins in the vault of the First Congregational Church of Tempe, adjacent to Tempe City Hall. Accounts from Bohlman's eldest daughter Patti Haught indicate that the Cup may have been in her childhood home as recently as the 1970's.
The Cup would then be displayed in the Hayden Libary for most of the next two decades, with a brief display at Sky Harbor Airport in 1995 in advance of Super Bowl XXX being played at Sun Devil Stadium.
While the Cup was on display at Sky Harbor, Jon Alquist and Frank Soltys started the process that led to the Cup becoming the symbol of the rivalry between Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. In 2001, a committee made up of members from the two schools, led by Arizona State archivist Robert Spindler, determined that a replica trophy would be made and presented on field to the winner of the annual football game, with the original trophy transported separately to the winning school to display. Then-Governor Jane Hull issued a proclomation in November of 2001 affirming the Cup as the symbol of the rivalry, and soon after came certification from the NCAA of the Cup's status as the oldest rivalry trophy.
The symbol of the Cup extends beyond football, and is the namesake of the Territorial Cup Series that covers all athletics competition between the two schools. Points are awarded based on head-to-head competition in most sports, with exceptions for cross country, golf, and track and field where points are awarded based on higher position in the conference championship.
In the prior 99 matchups, Arizona holds a 52-45-1 advantage in the series (Arizona State vacated their 38-15 win in 2021 due to NCAA sanctions). Since the rivalry became an annual fixture in 1946, Arizona State holds the edge with a 43-35-1 record.
Every Monday we will dive into the rivalry 10 games at a time, highlighting notable players and occurrences from each stretch. The first installment next week will cover games from 1899-1930.
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