PHOENIX — It's been four years since Arizona State made the trip back up to Camp Tontozona, a site with a rich history of Sun Devil football.
First-year head coach and Scottsdale’s own made bringing back the tradition one of his top priorities when he took the job at his alma mater.
The purpose of this week in the wilderness during fall camp is to create a culture and brotherhood before players are met with adversity on the football field during the season.
“We'll practice three and a half hours total, come back and have another hour of a football cleanup in the afternoon,” Dillingham said. “Everything else is bonding, campfires with their teammates, fight songs… We have a lot of new guys on our team, we have to get to know each other.”
It’s been an eventful week for ASU, which is among the schools defecting from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 beginning in 2024. There are only a handful of players on ASU’s roster who have experienced Camp T but one of the newbies, tight end Jalin Conyers, is looking forward to this Sun Devil rite of passage.
“I think it's just gonna be something cool we get to all experience. It’s definitely a blessing, Coach Dilly getting to bring us out here and bring continue this tradition,” Conyers said. “Obviously, last time in the Pac, you know, coming back to Camp T… It's definitely a season already starting off to be memorable.”
It’s estimated that 200 players, coaches, and staff from ASU are on site for the next three days in Payson. Sun Devil fans will get to watch the team scrimmage on Saturday at 9 a.m.
Follow the conversation with Lina Washington on Twitter: @LWashingtonTV. If you have a sports story idea, e-mail Lina at LWashington@12News.com.
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