Arizona State self-imposes bowl ban for 2023

by Owen Pattersonin College Football, Footballon Posted on

Just as the Arizona State Sun Devils prepare to begin the 2023 season, the athletic department announced that the team will be ineligible for participation in the postseason. The self-imposed bowl ban comes in response to the ongoing NCAA investigation into the program of recruiting violations by former head coach Herm Edwards.

The Sun Devil football team went under NCAA investigation in June 2021 after allegations that the coaching staff had violated the COVID-19 recruiting dead period guidelines. The findings have shown that at least 30 high school athletes were brought in for “official visit weekends” when no such visits should have been happening. Then head coach Herm Edwards lasted only three games in 2022 before being fired.

The decision will have major impacts on the growth of the program under first-year coach Kenny Dillingham. Dillingham, previously an offensive coordinator at Memphis, Auburn, Florida State and Oregon before taking the position in Tempe, said to reporters after the news surfaced that the decision is “upsetting”. He also mentioned that it takes an opportunity to “compete” away from the seniors on the team.

Not be lost in this, Arizona State still has twelve games to play and a Pac-12 Championship is not out the window. The Sun Devils announced earlier this week that true freshman Jaden Rashada will get the start at quarterback against Southern Utah. Rashada, the sixth-ranked QB in the 2023 class, beat out Notre Dame transfer Drew Pyne and 2022 starter Trenton Bourguet for the position. The defense should see a turnaround under new DC Brian Ward who had success at Washington State a year ago.

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The pieces are there for the Sun Devils to have a solid season, however, we wonʻt see them going bowling.

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