Arizona vs. Arizona State Rivalry Bobblehead Unveiled to Celebrate Saturday’s Game

Today, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled a limited-edition, officially licensed Arizona Wildcats vs. Arizona State Sun Devils Rivalry Bobblehead ahead of Saturday’s game between the two rivals at Arizona Stadium in Tucson. The bobblehead features Arizona’s mascot Wilbur the Wildcat and Arizona State’s mascot Sparky the Sun Devil with a replica of the Territorial Cup Trophy. The bobblehead commemorates the in-state rivalry, which is also known as the Duel in the Desert.

The special edition bobblehead, which is being released in conjunction with the 98th meeting between the Wildcats and Sun Devils on Saturday, November 30th at Arizona Stadium, is available exclusively from the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, an official licensee of the University of Arizona and Arizona State University.

• The bobbleheads are now available in the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store at this link.
• The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in May, are $50 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.
• Each bobblehead will be individually numbered to 2,024.
• The bobblehead is being released in conjunction with the 98th meeting between the teams on Saturday, November 30th at Arizona Stadium in Tucson.
• Standing side-by-side on a football field base that reads “WILDCATS” in one end zone and “SUN DEVILS” in the other end zone, Arizona mascot Wilbur the Wildcat and Arizona State mascot Sparky the Sun Devil are wearing their respective uniforms while giving the No. 1 signal and holding a football adorned with their school logo. Positioned in between Wilbur and Sparky is a replica of the Territorial Cup Trophy. The front of the base features the logos for each team.
• The most anticipated football game in Arizona each year, the Wildcats lead the all-time series 51-44-1 and have won the last two meetings, including a 59-23 victory last season in Tempe. The rivalry has had several nicknames, include the “Battle of Arizona,” the “Grand Canyon Rivalry,” “Desert Wars,” the “Cactus War,” and the “Phoenix-Tucson Rivalry.” The most famous nickname for the rivalry is the “Duel in the Desert” or the “Desert Duel.” In the entire history of the rivalry, the game has never been contested anywhere except Tempe or Tucson. The rivalry has been known for having decades being dominated by each team, with ASU having the advantage during the 1960s and 1970s, and UA dominating the early years, as well as the 1980s and 1990s. In the modern era, the game was often played on the day after Thanksgiving. It has most recently been scheduled for the Saturday after Thanksgiving to accommodate network television coverage.
• The winner receives the Territorial Cup, which was created 125 years ago for the champion of the inaugural meeting in 1899. The NCAA has certified it as the oldest rivalry trophy in college football. The cup’s name refers to the fact that Arizona was a U.S. territory at the time (it became a state in 1912). The cup is silver plate over Britannia base metal and was manufactured by Reed & Barton of Taunton, Massachusetts. The inscription reads: “Arizona Football League Championship 1899 Normal.”
• “We’re excited to unveil this limited-edition Arizona vs. Arizona State Rivalry Bobblehead ahead of tomorrow’s game in Tucson,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “This bobblehead will be the perfect way for Arizona and Arizona State fans, alumni, students, faculty, and staff to show off their school and state pride!”
• The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st. St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country.