Arizona State University will invest $135 million over the next three years to revitalize Desert Financial Arena and construct a new football practice facility. The Arizona Board of Regents approved the plan last month to renovate the arena and build a practice facility connected to Mountain America Stadium.
The largest portion of the project will upgrade the basketball arena, built in 1974. The regents’ $100 million plan includes interior changes such as new video boards, ADA access updates, renovated locker rooms and restrooms, and improvements to roofing, HVAC, electrical, and fire safety systems. Exterior plans feature a new Sun Devil Walk, statue garden, plaza, arboretum park and monument wall.
Design work begins early 2026, with construction starting January 2027 and completion expected December 2029.
The remaining $35 million will fund a covered turf practice facility, replacing a parking lot adjacent to Mountain America Stadium. The new facility will connect directly to the stadium’s game-day field and include weight rooms and meeting spaces, eliminating the team’s current half-mile commute between workouts and practice. It will also serve as a Fan Zone for events, food, music, and entertainment.
Design is expected to begin March 2026, with construction projected to finish February 2028.
Both projects will be financed through system revenue bonds, meaning revenues from tickets, concessions, and other activities will fund the improvements. ASU Athletic Director Graham Rossini said the university is beginning to engage engineers and contractors, indicating that a call for bids may be forthcoming.
Photo by davidpinter, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
