ASU Football Stars Forge Unbreakable Brotherhood and Traditions at Camp Tontozona

ASU football is set to travel to Camp T as part of the team’s annual tradition and they share their anticipation ahead of the trip.

TEMPE, Ariz. — Ask any Arizona State Sun Devil, and they’ll all have the same reaction about Camp Tontozona.

“Oh man, get ready,” said offensive lineman Ben Coleman. “It’s a hell of an experience.”

An experience that is based around football, sure, but more importantly, team bonding and tradition.

“There are no cell phones,” Head Coach Kenny Dillingham said. “Do we play spades? I just want to get to know which guys are going to sit there and talk and which guys are going to go compete in something. Which guys are going to go down to the river and just put their feet in the water?”

For 64 years, Camp Tontozona has been an iconic portrait of Sun Devil Football. Dillingham is working to continue a long-lasting tradition up north.

“We structured this thing to see who can stay focused,” Dillingham said. “For six days because that’s what this football team needs. We don’t need an influx of talent; it needs mindset.”

Camp T is a unique experience for players and coaches, located among the Ponderosa pines 17.9 miles outside of Payson. The pace of life is much different compared to Tempe, providing exactly what is needed to strengthen a team’s bond ahead of the grueling season.

“You’re sleeping next to guys, and guys are snoring,” Coleman said. “You have to get up in the morning and try not to wake guys up, so I think it’s important to gain that camaraderie between everybody. Sit down at the campfire and talk, hear everybody’s stories so you can understand where they are coming from.”

Despite long days, the lack of distractions and absence of social life make Tontozona the ideal place for a team to come together.

“The more time we can bond with each other, the better,” graduate transfer Jeff Clark said. “The better I can get to know the brother I am playing next to, the better I can play off of him.”

Players will practice at Camp T from Wednesday through Saturday. The week will culminate in the team’s Maroon and Gold scrimmage.

The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams: The NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, NBA’s Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, and MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf, while the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.

Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL’s Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.

The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year. These include college football’s Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl, the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open, NASCAR events each spring and fall including Championship Weekend in November, and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.