Latest from Susan Wong
Golf’s growth across Valley spurs $6 billion economic boost while staying environmentally friendly
PHOENIX – A report from Rounds Consulting Group and the Arizona Alliance of Golf have found that the golf industry in Arizona contributes more than $6 billion to the economy.
ASU football prospects Xazavian Valladay, Kyle Soelle turn heads at annual Pro Day
TEMPE – NFL scouts from across the league came to Tempe to evaluate the Sun Devils who declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. With only one invite from ASU at the NFL Scouting Combine, prospects such as Kyle Soelle and Xazavian Valladay showcased their skills at ASU’s Dickey Dome.
Wildcats letdown: UCLA knocks Arizona out of Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament
LAS VEGAS - After a competitive first half between the fourth-seeded University of Arizona and fifth-seeded UCLA, the Bruins pulled away in the second half to beat the Wildcats 73-59 in the quarterfinal of the Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament.
ASU’s resilience in Pac-12 women’s tournament exemplifies response from season-long adversity
LAS VEGAS – Though Arizona State was knocked out of the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament in the first round Wednesday, the team displayed the resilience it had all season long.
George ‘The Sodfather’ Toma sheds light on Super Bowl 57 field issues
GLENDALE – Weeks following the confetti raining down on the Super Bowl 57 champions Kansas City Chiefs, the answer to what caused poor field conditions remained at large. The man who has worked on all 57 Super Bowl fields, ‘The Sodather’ George Toma, stepped out of the shadows to spill on what caused the slippery playing surface.
Despite recent struggles, ASU baseball looks to end Men’s College World Series drought
PHOENIX – ASU has one of the more storied programs in all of college baseball, yet the Sun Devils have failed to reach the Men’s College World Series since 2010. Will that trend end this season? The Sun Devils enter Friday’s opener with optimism.
Photos: Arizona Super Bowl events include music, parties, experiences, more
PHOENIX – Cronkite News photographers are capturing Super Bowl events, from the Super Bowl LVII Experience to Super Bowl LVII Music Fest and more.
Touch down! Eagles, Chiefs land in Phoenix for Super Bowl 2023
PHOENIX – The much anticipated Super Bowl 2023 between Philadelphia and Kansas City became more real Sunday afternoon when both teams arrived in Phoenix.
Field of work: State Farm Stadium undergoes final preparations for Super Bowl Sunday
GLENDALE – With the Super Bowl just weeks away, the preparation for the playing surface is in full swing as the grounds crew works around the clock to ensure that the field will look good to the eyes and keep players healthy.
Battle for No. 1: ASU men’s basketball hosts No. 5 UCLA for Pac-12 supremacy
TEMPE – The Sun Devils have an opportunity to take first place in the PAC-12 on Thursday against UCLA. However, the red-hot Bruins continue to run the PAC-12 and enter the contest riding a 13-game winning streak.
GCU among universities offering scholarships to build successful esports programs
PHOENIX – As Esports scholarships become more common, Grand Canyon University tries to stay ahead of the game.
Lack of players forces ASU women’s basketball team to forfeit 2 Pac-12 games
PHOENIX – Arizona State announced Wednesday that the ASU women’s basketball games against Colorado and Utah had been canceled due to student-athlete availability. The games will not be made up, and will not affect the overall records of the schools.
As drama, finger-pointing unfolds in Qatar, Arizona soccer fans watch World Cup from afar
PHOENIX – From human rights controversies to corruption scandals, the host of the World Cup, Qatar, has been endlessly scrutinized. It did not keep Arizona soccer fans from watching the competition at area bars and restaurants.
Natasha Adair brings passion, spark to ASU women’s basketball team
TEMPE – Natasha Adair takes over for longtime ASU women’s basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne and hopes her former success at previous stops translates to returning the program to prominence.
Kari Lake dares NFL to ‘play chicken’ over 2023 Super Bowl location
PHOENIX – Republican nominee for Arizona governor Kari Lake said she will not back down over her proposed border control measures if the NFL threatens to remove the Super Bowl – something the league did before in 1990.
Pac-12 flexes muscle, lands 5 teams in initial College Football Playoff rankings
PHOENIX – As the Pac-12 looks to get its first team in the College Football Playoff since 2017, Oregon, USC and UCLA vy for a spot but will need help.
Equipped to handle doubters, quarterback Emory Jones remains determined to lead ASU
TEMPE – Emory Jones is accustomed to doubters. Despite a quarterback controversy, he remains determined to lead Arizona State, which takes on Colorado Saturday.
Brace yourselves: Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee announces Super Bowl 57 events
TEMPE – The NFL and Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee announced a list of events that will lead to the 2023 Super Bowl. These events will take place in Phoenix, Glendale, Tempe, Scottsdale and Mesa, and each event will highlight what the cities have to offer.
ASU soccer’s Nicole Douglas is one for the record books
TEMPE — Nicole Douglas figures to remain atop ASU soccer’s all-time scoring list for a long time to come, but there are other aspects of her game that coach Graham Winkworth believes are too often overlooked.
Practices ‘like war’ as Sun Devils prepare for men’s basketball season
TEMPE - Competitive intensity was the theme at the first media availability for Arizona State’s men’s basketball team pm Oct. 12. Coach Bobby Hurley and point guard Frankie Collins described early practices “like war” as the Sun Devils have already begun to bond despite a lot of new faces.
Home improvement: After decades at Oceanside Ice Arena, ASU men’s ice hockey set to break in Mullett Arena
TEMPE – Arizona State hockey will play in Mullett Arena for the first time this season Friday. The facility has the potential to elevate the program to the top of college hockey.
Talk of Robert Sarver, Jae Crowder define unusual Suns Media Day
PHOENIX – From Robert Sarver to Jae Crowder, many questions at Phoenix Suns Media Day involved people who weren’t there. Coach Monty Williams general James Jones said he they are ready to look forward.
‘Back to business’: Shaun Aguano, ASU forge ahead without Herm Edwards
PHOENIX – Following a 30-21 loss to Eastern Michigan Saturday night, Vice President of University Athletics Ray Anderson reached a mutual decision to part ways with coach Herm Edwards. The following afternoon, Anderson named running backs coach Shaun Aguano as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Cha-ching! Arizona’s first year of legalized sports betting cashes in on surprising success
PHOENIX – Friday marks the one-year anniversary of legalized sports betting in Arizona. Many observers say the state has exceeded expectations.
Florida transfer Emory Jones prepares for debut as ASU quarterback
TEMPE – After Jayden Daniels transferred to LSU, ASU was in search of a quarterback. They found Emory Jones, a transfer from the University of Florida who has similar attributes to Daniels.
‘It’s gotta be the shoes’: Why are Scottsdale nightclubs prohibiting retro sneakers?
SCOTTSDALE – Young adults increasingly are being turned away from Scottsdale nightclubs because of their retro sneakers, such as Jordans and Air Force 1s, raising questions about what determines the selectivity.
Change of course: Modernization, COVID-19 pandemic help revitalize golf
MESA – Since COVID-19, golf has experienced a boom in popularity. Sales are up, more people are playing and the sport is growing at the professional level.
Losing contact: Instead, girls flag football emerging in Arizona, across U.S.
PHOENIX – Spreading the word through social media and word of mouth, Mountain Pointe High School is joining schools within the Chandler Unified School District to start girls flag football programs. The sport’s popularity is growing around the country.
Texas Tech’s all-time winningest softball coach now turning around GCU’s program
PHOENIX – Shanon Hays, the winningest coach in softball history at Texas Tech, is now turning around Grand Canyon’s program. The Lopes, who were 19-30 in 2021, are first in the WAC West.
Highway construction to close Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park after nearly four decade NHRA run
PHOENIX — The Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler is set to run its final NHRA event in 2023. The Wild Horse Park Development Authority says this is due to planned work on Interstate 10 near the area.
Freshman Ralford Mullings adds to legacy of ASU’s track and field throwers
Olympic gold medalists and NCAA champions met recently for a star-studded invitational at Sun Angels Stadium, but it was Arizona State freshman Ralford Mullings who turned heads after his record-setting performance in the men's discus.
Arizona sportsbooks expecting large crowds, revenue for first March Madness betting cycle
PHOENIX – This is Arizona's first March Madness with legal sports betting. Sportsbooks across the state are expecting large crowds and revenue during both the men’s and women’s NCAA championship tournaments.
Arizona’s run in Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament ends abruptly after loss to Colorado
LAS VEGAS – The Arizona women's basketball team had high hopes heading into the Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament but Colorado quickly ended the Wildcats' run in Sin City.
ASU women’s basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne steps down after 25-season run
TEMPE – Arizona State women’s basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne announced at a press conference today that she will step down from her role after 25 seasons with the program.
What happens in Vegas … isn’t always good: ASU women fall to Oregon State in Pac-12 Tournament
LAS VEGAS – Despite a late comeback, the Arizona State women's basketball team fell to Oregon State in the Pac-12 Tournament and saw its season end.
Fresh sand in the desert: Arizona State debuts beach volleyball facility
TEMPE – The Arizona State beach volleyball team’s new on-campus courts opened two weeks ago. The team has been playing at an off-campus country club since the team’s inception in 2014.
Wyoming made: GCU’s Carter Young achieved DI status without high school baseball
PHOENIX – Wyoming is one of only two states that doesn’t sanction baseball as a high school sport. Grand Canyon pitcher Carter Young still managed to play DI baseball by traveling and competing around the country.
Play ball? Not yet, as battle for MLB season carries on after spring training delayed
PHOENIX — Pitchers and catchers were supposed to report this week. But due to no new CBA, spring training in Arizona will have to wait a little longer.
WM Phoenix Open shows its 2022 hand, and it’s a pair of aces
SCOTTSDALE – Holes-in-one by Sam Ryder and Carlos Ortiz at the 16th hole headline a wild WM Phoenix Open weekend. The atmosphere was a stark contrast to 2021, when COVID-19 restrictions limited how many fans could attend.
‘The sport needs it’: Fans, golfers embrace return to normalcy during Phoenix Open’s first round
SCOTTSDALE – Fans flocked to the WM Phoenix Open Thursday for the first round of the popular tournament at TPC Scottsdale. With all pandemic restrictions lifted, players and fans said they were thrilled to see the return to normalcy.
It’s official: Coyotes announce move to ASU’s multipurpose arena, addition of locker complex
PHOENIX — Following ABOR’s approval to build a new locker complex, the Arizona Coyotes announced the franchise will move to ASU’s multipurpose arena for the next three seasons with an option for a fourth.
Super Bowl LVI gambling could surpass $100 million in Arizona, experts predict
PHOENIX – Arizona will affect this year’s Super Bowl gambling landscape, sports betting analysts believe, and it could be significant next year when the big game comes to Glendale.
