Photos by Michael Davis, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71
Mountain America Stadium 500 E Veterans Way Tempe, AZ 85281
Year Opened: 1958 Capacity: 53,600
Arizona State Football
Mountain America Stadium, formerly known as Sun Devil Stadium, is the home of the Arizona State University Sun Devils football team. Arizona State is one of the Big 12 Conference’s newest members after formerly being a member of the PAC-12 Conference.
Mountain America Stadium was built in 1958, with a seating capacity of 30,000. Over the years, the stadium reached its peak capacity of 74,865 when the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals shared the stadium. The stadium’s current capacity of 53,600 is due to the five-year, $304-million renovation that was completed in August 2019 – the renovations were completed in five phases and included having sections of the upper deck removed, a new structure built behind the south end zone, the east and west side of the lower bowl and loge level rebuilt, installation of a new video board, and the completion of club areas.
Besides previously housing the Arizona Cardinals, the stadium was also the original home of college football’s Fiesta Bowl game, as well as hosting other college bowl games. Super Bowl XXX, which featured the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers in front of 76,347 spectators, was also played at Mountain America Stadium – this was the first time the Super Bowl was played in Arizona, which has now hosted the NFL showcase three more times in the Cardinals new home, State Farm Stadium.
Food & Beverage 4
Mountain America Stadium offers a wide variety of food options – there are the basic food items for fans, the outside food vendors, and, starting this season, a game-by-game food item. The basic food items covered on the Fork’em menu include hot dogs, Italian sausage, nachos, popcorn, peanuts, and candy, with costs for these items ranging from $4 to $7 dollars.
Alternatively, the outside food vendors include Venezia’s for pizza lovers, Chick-fil-A, Authentic Burros for Tex-Mex, and Pardon my Cheesesteak – all of these latter vendors have higher priced items than the basic stands, but the quality and taste are more consistent, and the portion sizes are more filling. The game-by-game food item can be found on the Arizona State website before each game; at the most recent game I attended, it was Alligator po’boys, consisting of fried alligator on a hoagie bun with coleslaw and spicy sauce. The cost was $15, but it is a good marketing idea and worth a try.
The concessions serve Coca-Cola products here; a souvenir soda is $8, but they also offer a refillable soda for $30, which, if you get small cups from the free water tubs, would be a good option for a family. Frozen lemonade is $7.50, while Dasani bottled water is $5. The alcohol sales offer plenty as well, as there are numerous options for beer, both domestic and local breweries, as well as hard seltzer and wine. For beer lovers, I would suggest stopping by Pitchfork Draft House to find a draft of your liking during the game.
Overall, the food and beverages at Mountain America Stadium have improved over the past years, moving the concessions here to above average compared to other stadiums.
Atmosphere 3
Throughout college football, the atmosphere begins well before gates open – Arizona State’s tailgate scene is impressive and stretches for several blocks around Mountain America Stadium.
Before the gates open, there is the Devil Walk, as the team approaches the stadium accompanied by the spirit squads and the ASU Sun Devil Marching Band, known as "The Pride of the Southwest."
The team comes onto the field along with opening fireworks and the band playing, as the excitement hits an incredible vibe. The view of the field is also excellent throughout the stadium, even though most of the seating is just metal benches with backs. There are chairback seats on the ASU sideline in the lower bowl, in the 200 sections, however, as well as on the visitor side between the 25-yard lines.
The Arizona State Gameday crew does a great job during the game. However, the student section in the Inferno leads the excitement throughout the game. Fireworks and Sparky, the two ASU mascots, can also be seen doing push-ups after each Arizona State score.
Overall, the atmosphere is what fans expect when it comes to watching Power 4 football; Arizona State is a great addition to the other Big 12 Conference venues.
Neighborhood 5
Arizona State University is in Tempe, Arizona. The city of Tempe has grown to 185,950 (as of 2022), and the university is the heart of the city. Phoenix, Mesa, and Scottsdale are a short distance from the campus. The main pre-game activities are on Mill Avenue, just a few blocks from Mountain America Stadium, and there are numerous places nearby to meet up before the game.
The Sunbar, Fat Tuesday, Varsity Tavern, and Pedal Haus are all options, but my choice is Varsity Tavern, which offers plenty of large TV screens to watch other games on during the day. For Brewery seekers, there is also the Four Peaks Brewing Company nearby.
Tempe has many attractions nearby, the biggest being the Phoenix Zoo, the Desert Botanical Gardens in Papago Park, and Tempe Beach Park along the Salt River. For shopping and other restaurants, there is the Tempe Marketplace on E Rio Salado Parkway, an open-air shopping center with restaurants including Thirsty Lion, Portillo’s Tempe, and Spinato’s Pizzeria and Family Kitchen.
The lodging near the stadium is abundant, as near the venue, you can find AC Hotel Phoenix Tempe/Downtown, Graduate Tempe on East Apache, and Hyatt Place Tempe/Phoenix. There is also easy access from the airport hotels using the light rail – one of my favorites is Crowne Plaza on Washington Street, walkable from the airport, or a light rail ride from Arizona State University.
Fans 3
The Arizona State Sun Devils have filled about 90% of the stadium over the past 5 years. The Sun Devils have a large fan base that is strong and shows up even in the desert heat – the heat and loud fan base give Mountain America Stadium a real home-field advantage.
The loudest noise here comes from the ASU student section; Arizona State has one of the largest undergraduate student bodies in the country, and when they show up, the atmosphere changes to another level. The students sing the fight song, shake their keys during kickoffs, and yell throughout the game. This season, the student section is even breaking records with their attendance.
Access 4
Mountain America Stadium is on the campus of Arizona State University, located just off University Drive, which you can get to from various highways around the Phoenix metro area. There is also Phoenix’s Valley Metro light rail system that can drop you off in front of the stadium – the light rail is the best option both financially and in terms of time, but there is plenty of parking at the stadium if you decide to drive.
The closest parking is for season ticket holders; these lots are filled with tailgaters before the game. However, other parking lots nearby cost $20 to $40, depending on the location. One recommendation has been to use the app called ParkWhiz to find cheaper parking, while another cheap option is Orbit.
Fans in the Tempe area can take Orbit free of charge until 10 pm on weekdays, Saturdays, and until 8 pm on Sundays. If you are not a Tempe resident, you can park at the Tempe Library Complex on the southwest corner of Southern Avenue and Rural Road and catch the Orbit from there.
Mountain America Stadium’s gates open 90 minutes before kickoff, and all areas in the facility can be accessed from any gate. The entrance process into the facility, however, is the only reason the score for this section is not a 5 – having to go up some stairs to enter the stadium, going through rapid metal detectors, and having mobile tickets scanned at kiosks is a workout. Once at the top of the stairs, though, you are above the lower bowl, and there is easy access from there with good signage throughout the stadium.
Arizona State athletics uses the clear bag policy – to enter the venue bags must be clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC and not exceed 12″ x 6″ x 12″, such as one-gallon clear plastic freezer bags (Ziploc or similar), small clutch bags (no larger than 4.5″ x 6.5″) with or without a handle or strap, or seat cushions & seat cushions with a back (no pockets, 18″ or less in width).
Overall, Mountain America is an easy adventure to get to, whether you are local or from outside the Phoenix/Tempe area.
Return on Investment 4
Sun Devil football tickets range from $9 to $175 per person depending on your seat selection, which at present could be the lowest in the Big 12 Conference. In their inaugural year in the Big 12, the Sun Devils won’t play a true rival, as the Territorial Cup matchup with Arizona is in Tucson.
Extras 3
The legacy of the late, great Pat Tillman is alive and strong in the Arizona State University football program – a statue erected in honor of the former Sun Devil, who lost his life serving in the US Army, greets the team as they enter the field from their tunnel.
A unique experience while in Tempe is to Hike ‘A’ Mountain (Hayden Butte); once at the top, there are spectacular views of Tempe, the ASU campus, and the surrounding area.
The upgrades to Mountain America Stadium help Arizona State University keep up with modern times and provide a top-class football facility for fans. ASU also has one of the coolest mascots in college sports, namely Sparky the Sun Devil.
Final Thoughts
Mountain America Stadium is a wonderful venue to watch college football. The local area is also great to visit, with wonderful weather in the later part of the season. The facility and team are not usually thought of as among the big programs in the country by fans, but they definitely should be. If you are ever in the Phoenix area during college football season, I highly recommend taking a game at Mountain America Stadium.
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