Professional Football in Tempe
The Arizona Wranglers became Arizona's first professional football team in 1983. As one of
the first twelve teams that made up the new United States Football League, the Wranglers
faced many challenges. Like all USFL teams, they had to compete against the National
Football League to attract new fans and recruit eligible college athletes and experienced
professional players. Under an agreement with ASU, Sun Devil Stadium became their home
stadium, and they began playing a non-traditional spring schedule of games.
Former ASU head coach Frank Kush left the Indianapolis Colts in 1984 to coach the
Wranglers. Soon the Tempe-based Wranglers merged with the Oklahoma Outlaws, and
became the Arizona Outlaws. However, financial troubles plagued the league. Just like the
World Football League which failed in 1970s, the USFL was never able to capture the
interest and loyalty of the public the way that the NFL had. In 1988, the short-lived United
States Football League collapsed.
In the spring of 1988, one of the oldest professional football teams in the country moved to
Tempe. The St. Louis Cardinals became the Phoenix Cardinals. Once again, professional
football was being played at ASU's Sun Devil Stadium, the official home stadium for the
Phoenix Cardinals.
The Cardinals' first home game in Tempe was played on September 12, 1988 against the
Dallas Cowboys. The game set a new attendance record for the team, as 67,139 local fans
came out to see their new home team. However, public interest declined after several losing
seasons under head coaches Gene Stallings and Joe Bugel. Some changes were made in 1994
-- Buddy Ryan was hired as head coach, and the Phoenix Cardinals changed their name to the
Arizona Cardinals. They finished the year with an 8-8 record, making it the best season for
the team in past ten years. However, after a posting a losing record in the 1995 season, Ryan was fired and Vince Tobin became the new head coach for the Cardinals.
In subsequent years, the Cardinals continued to post losing records and several
changes were made in the coaching staff. In 2006, the team moved to a new
stadium built for them in Glendale, Arizona.
The Cardinals have a long history, going back almost to the beginning of American football.
The original Chicago-area team was known as the Racine Cardinals in 1901. In 1920, the
team was one of 11 charter members of the American Professional Football League, the
predecessor of the NFL. As the Chicago Cardinals, the team won the NFL championship title
in 1925 and 1947. As the St. Louis Cardinals, they were the NFC East Division champions
in 1974 and 1975.
In 2008, they won the NFC West Division championship. In 2009, the Arizona
Cardinals won the NFC national championship, sending them to the Super Bowl for
the first time in the team's history.
| Racine Cardinals |
1901-1922 |
| Chicago Cardinals |
1922-1959 |
| St. Louis Cardinals |
1960-1987 |
| Phoenix Cardinals |
1988-1993 |
| Arizona Cardinals |
1994-present |
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