Arizona State University (ASU) has graduated a number of athletes. This includes graduates, non-graduate former students and current students of ASU who are notable for their achievements within athletics, sometimes before or after their time at ASU. Other alumni, including non-playing coaches and athletic administrators, can be found in the list of Arizona State University alumni. The first recorded sporting event in the history of what was originally the Tempe Normal School was a baseball game played in 1891; the first football team was fielded in 1896. [1] Since 1947, ASU's athletic teams have been known as the Sun Devils after previously being known as the Bulldogs and unofficially as the Normals or Owls. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and fields teams in 26 varsity sports, comprising some 600 student-athletes. [2]
ASU has historically produced notable athletes in baseball, football, swimming, track and field, and wrestling, among other sports. As of 2024 [update] , ASU is second among all NCAA universities with 117 alumni who have played in Major League Baseball (MLB) and has the most inductees into the College Baseball Hall of Fame, [3] and more than 200 Sun Devil student-athletes have competed in the Olympic Games, [4] winning a total of 66 medals. [5]
Well-known American football athletes include six members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including Curley Culp and Randall McDaniel, as well as Pat Tillman. ASU's contributions to MLB include Barry Bonds, Dustin Pedroia, Reggie Jackson and Rick Monday. Other notables include basketball players Eddie House and James Harden among 30 all-time National Basketball Association (NBA) players, swimmers Léon Marchand and Melissa Belote, and golfers including six-time major tournament winner Phil Mickelson and two-time winner Jon Rahm. Other ASU athletes have played professionally in the National Hockey League (NHL), Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), National Women's Soccer League, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), PGA Tour and LPGA Tour, as well as internationally.
For size reasons, this list contains six partial lists covering baseball, basketball, football, golf, swim and dive, and track and field.
Name | Years played at ASU | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Katie Burkhart | 2005–2008 | Pitcher, played in National Pro Fastpitch | [6] |
Kaitlin Cochran | 2006–2009 | 2011 gold medalist at the Pan American Games, played in National Pro Fastpitch | [7] |
Krista Donnenwirth | 2008–2011 | [8] | |
Dallas Escobedo | 2011–2014 | Pitcher; later a graduate manager for ASU softball, represented Mexico at the 2020 Summer Olympics | [9] [10] |
Stacey Farnworth | Represented Greece at the 2004 Summer Olympics | [4] | |
Danielle Gibson | 2018 | [11] | |
Chelsea Gonzales | 2014–2017 | [12] | |
Giselle Juarez | 2017–2018 | [11] | |
Tammy Lohmann | 1993–1997 | Head softball coach, San José State | [13] |
Sashel Palacios | 2014–2017 | [14] |
Name | Years played at ASU | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
McKenzie Berryhill | 2012–2015 | Played in the National Women's Soccer League and the Norwegian Toppserien | [15] [16] |
Liz Bogus | 2002–2004 | Played in Women's Professional Soccer and the National Women's Soccer League | [17] [18] |
Nina Brüggemann | 2012 | [19] | |
Alexia Delgado | 2018–2022 | Played in Liga MX Femenil and for the Mexico women's national team | [20] [21] |
Eva van Deursen | 2018–2022 | [22] | |
Nicole Douglas | 2018–2022 | First Sun Devil soccer player to be an All-American since 2002; played in the NWSL and USL Super League | [23] [24] |
Christina Edwards | 2016–2019 | [25] | |
Cali Farquharson | 2012–2015 | Played in the NWSL | [26] [27] |
Jayda Hylton-Pelaia | 2021 | Jamaican international | [28] [29] |
Amy LePeilbet | 2000–2003 | Played in Women's Professional Soccer and the National Women's Soccer League; 2011 Women's World Cup champion; 2012 Olympian representing the U.S.; interim coach of the Utah Royals | [30] [4] [31] |
Manya Makoski | 2002–2005 | [32] | |
Jemma Purfield | 2017–2018 | Played professionally in England | [33] [34] |
Gabi Rennie | 2022–2023 | 2024 Olympian representing New Zealand | [35] [4] |
Marleen Schimmer | 2018-2019 | Played professionally in the U.S. and Germany | [36] [37] |
Kylla Sjoman | 2005–2008 | [38] | |
Cori Sullivan | 2018-2021 | [39] | |
Stacey Tullock | 1998–2000 | [40] | |
Jazmine Wilkinson | 2020–2022 | [41] |
Name | Years played at ASU | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Carol Baily | Professional tennis player | [42] | |
Óscar Bustos | Chilean tennis player | [43] | |
Jacqueline Cako | 2010–2013 | Professional tennis player | [44] |
Murphy Cassone | 2021–2024 | Professional tennis player | [45] |
Andrew Colombo | NCAA doubles champion at Auburn University before transferring to ASU | [46] [47] | |
Gary Donnelly | 1982–1983 | Professional tennis player | [48] |
Adria Engel | 1999–2002 | Professional tennis player | [49] |
Chelsea Fontenel | 2022–2024 | Professional tennis player | [50] |
Nicole Fossa Huergo | 2016–2018 | Professional tennis player | [51] |
Laura Glitz | Professional tennis player | [52] | |
Brian Gyetko | 1992 Olympian representing Canada | [4] | |
Benjamin Hannestad | 2017–2018 | [53] | |
Ilze Hattingh | 2017–2021 | Professional tennis player | [54] |
Glen Holroyd | Professional tennis player | [55] | |
Allyson Ingram | Professional tennis player | [56] | |
Dave Kanter | 1971–1974 | Professional tennis player | [57] |
Matt Klinger | 1999–2002 | Professional tennis player | [58] |
Desirae Krawczyk | 2024 Olympian representing the U.S. | [4] | |
Dora Krstulović | 2001–2003 | Professional tennis player | [59] |
Gustavo Marcaccio | Professional tennis player and coach | [60] | |
Ross Matheson | 1991–1992 | Professional tennis player | [61] |
Alexandra Osborne | 2014-2017 | Professional tennis player | [62] |
Peggy Michel | 1968–1972 | Professional tennis player; collegiate doubles champion, 1972 | [49] |
Todd Nelson | Professional tennis player | [63] | |
Sheri Norris | 1984–1986 | [49] | |
Karin Palme | 1997–2001 | Professional tennis player | [64] [65] |
Paulina Peisachov | 1970 | Professional tennis player | [66] |
Justin Roberts | 2018–2019 | Professional tennis player | [67] |
Sargis Sargsian | 1994–1995 | First NCAA men's singles champion in ASU history; three-time Olympian representing Armenia | [68] [4] |
Joelle Schad | 1996 Olympian representing the Dominican Republic | [4] | |
Eric Sherbeck | Professional tennis player and coach | [69] | |
Patrīcija Špaka | 2021–2025 | Latvian tennis player | [70] |
George Stoupe | 2019–2022 | Professional tennis player | [71] |
Name | Years played at ASU | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Eric Albarracin | Served in the U.S. Army; MMA coach | [72] | |
Ryan Bader | 2001–2005 | Wrestler and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter | [73] |
Steven Blackford | 1998–2001 | Three-time All-American | [74] |
Kennedy Blades | 2022–2024 | Freestyle wrestler; competed in the 2024 Summer Olympics | [75] |
Gary Bohay | Represented Canada in wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics | [4] | |
Kelsey Campbell | ASU's first female wrestler; represented the U.S. at the 2012 Summer Olympics | [4] [76] | |
Sullivan Cauley | 2014–2017 | Wrestler and MMA fighter | [77] [78] |
C.B. Dollaway | 2004–2005 | Wrestler and MMA fighter | [79] [80] |
Rob Eiter | Represented the U.S. in wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics | [4] | |
Don Frye | 1985–1987 | Wrestler and MMA fighter | [66] [81] |
Dan Henderson | 1993 | Represented the U.S. in wrestling at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics | [66] [4] [81] |
Barb Honchak | — | MMA fighter | [82] |
Bubba Jenkins | 2010–2011 | 2011 national champion at 157 lbs, professional MMA fighter | [83] [84] |
Zeke Jones | 1987–1990 | Represented the U.S. in the 1992 Summer Olympics and served as an Olympic coach in 2004, 2008 and 2012; ASU wrestling head coach since 2014 | [4] [85] [86] |
Matthew Lopez | Wrestler; professional MMA fighter | [87] | |
Nicco Montaño | — | Professional MMA fighter | [88] |
John Moraga | Wrestler; professional MMA fighter | [89] | |
Anthony Robles | 2008–2011 | 2011 national champion at 125 lbs, profiled in the 2024 film Unstoppable | [90] [91] |
Billy Rosado | 1976–1978 | Represented the U.S. at the 1976 Summer Olympics | [4] [74] |
Frankie Saenz | Wrestler; professional MMA fighter | [92] | |
Marco Sanchez | Represented the U.S. at the 1996 Summer Olympics | [4] | |
Townsend Saunders | 1989–1990 | Represented the U.S. at the 1996 Summer Olympics | [74] [4] |
Dan Severn | 1977–1980 | Wrestler and wrestling coach at ASU; MMA fighter | [74] [93] |
Aaron Simpson | MMA fighter; ASU assistant wrestling coach | [94] | |
Clifford Starks | [95] | ||
James Terry | MMA fighter | [96] | |
Zahid Valencia | 2016–2020 | 2019 NCAA freestyle champion | [97] |
Cain Velasquez | 2003–2005 | Two-time All-American and MMA fighter; first heavyweight MMA or boxing champion of Mexican-American descent | [74] |
Patrick Williams | MMA fighter | [98] |
Name | Years played at ASU | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Judi Adams | Archer; represented the U.S. at the 1996 Summer Olympics | [4] | |
Jay Barrs | 1983–1984 | Archer; gold medalist for the U.S. at the 1987 Pan American Games and 1988 Summer Olympics | [99] |
Amanda Borden | — | Captain of the 1996 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team; graduated 2003 | [100] |
Izabella Chiappini | Water polo; represented Brazil at the 2016 Summer Olympics | [4] | |
Joey Daccord | 2016–2019 | Hockey goaltender; first ASU hockey player to play in the National Hockey League | [101] |
Erin Densham | Triathlete; represented Australia at the 2016 Summer Olympics | [4] | |
Josh Doan | 2021–2023 | Hockey forward | [102] |
Danna Durante | 2002–2005 | Gymnast; collegiate coach at Washington, Nebraska, Georgia and North Carolina | [103] |
Linda French | Badminton; represented the U.S. at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics | [4] | |
Ao Gao | Water polo; represented China at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics | [4] | |
Sean "Sgares" Gares | Professional Esports player; known for Counter-Strike | [104] | |
Christine Garner | 1992–1995 | Volleyball | [105] |
Dan Hayden | 1985–1986 | Gymnast | [106] |
Dennis Hayden | 1985–1986 | Gymnast | [107] |
Justin Huish | Archer; represented the U.S. at the 1996 Summer Olympics | [4] | |
Chris Jogis | 1984–1987 | Badminton; three-time national men's doubles and singles champion, four-time All-American; 1992 Olympian representing the U.S. | [108] |
Kittia Kennedy | 1976–1980 | Gymnast; coached Nia Dennis and Gabby Douglas | [109] |
Benny Lee | Badminton; represented the U.S. at the 1992 Summer Olympics | [4] | |
Nelson Lincoln | Sports shooting; 1960 Olympian representing the U.S. | [4] | |
Richard McKinney | 1980–1984 | Archer; represented the U.S. at the 1976, 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics | [99] [4] |
Chase McQueen | 2018-2020 | Triathlete | [110] |
Glenn Meyers | Archer; represented the U.S. at the 1984 Summer Olympics | [99] | |
Brinson Pasichnuk | 2017–2020 | Hockey defenseman | [111] |
Cullen Potter | Hockey forward; Highest drafted ASU hockey player, 32nd overall 2025 NHL Draft. | ||
Bente Rogge | Water polo; represented the Netherlands at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics | [4] | |
Lieke Rogge | Water polo; represented the Netherlands at the 2024 Summer Olympics | [4] | |
Jenny Rowland | Gymnast | [112] | |
Leanne Schuster | 1991–1994 | Volleyball player | [66] |
Jay Shi | Sports shooting; 2016 Olympian representing the U.S. | [4] | |
Artem Shlaine | 2024–2025 | Ice hockey | [113] |
J.C. Trujillo | World-champion bareback bronc rider; 1968 intercollegiate bareback riding champion | [114] | |
Tammy Webb | 1983–1986 | Volleyball; represented the U.S. in the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics and won bronze in 1992 | [105] [4] |
Rowie Webster | Water polo; represented Australia at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics | [4] | |
Alison Williamson | Archer; represented Great Britain at the 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics | [4] | |
Erica Wilson | 2009–2012 | Volleyball player | [115] |