This past November, it was announced that the Arizona Coyotes and Arizona State University had entered into an agreement to build a new arena complex that would have featured a 16,000-seat arena for the Coyotes, and a 4,000-seat arena for the Sun Devils on the site of Arizona State’s Karsten Golf Course.
The plan sounded terrific, other than the fact that there was no budget set for the project, and no way to pay for it once that budget was established.
Perhaps predictably, that plan has fallen through, as the Arizona Republic reports that the Sun Devils have pulled out of that plan. The initial announcement had stated that there was a January 30th, 2017 deadline for a budget to be established for the project.
A statement from the school said that the university “has no intention of proceeding to sign a development agreement or an option to lease or any other agreement with the Coyotes."
So this would appear to leave the Sun Devils back at square one for a new arena, with just 608 days until the start of the 2018-2019 season, when Arizona State said they would be playing in a new arena.
It would also appear to slow whatever impending realignment may occur to conferences in the west, as schools wait to see what Arizona State’s long-term arena situation will be like, as well as waiting on the future of the two schools in Alaska.