Arizona State claimed the No. 7 spot in The Associated Press' final top 25 college football poll released Tuesday, further signaling the Sun Devils' return to national prominence.
It's the highest end-of-season ranking for ASU since 1996, when the Sun Devils finished the season at No. 4. Arizona State went 11-1 that season with the lone loss coming to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
The 2024 Sun Devils (11-3) were the Cinderella story of the college football season, winning the Big 12 championship in their first year in the conference after being picked last among the league's 16 teams.
7️⃣‼️
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) January 21, 2025
The Sun Devils come in at #7 in the final @AP poll#ForksUp /// #ActivateTheValley pic.twitter.com/XjG813DUqT
ASU's 45-19 victory over Iowa State in the Big 12 title game earned the Sun Devils a trip to the expanded College Football Playoff and a first-round bye as the No. 4 seed.
The Sun Devils made the most of their invitation to college football quarterfinals, taking Texas to double overtime before falling 39-31 on New Year's Day.
Arizona State was the highest of the four Big 12 teams ranked in the final AP poll, followed by No. 13 BYU (11-2), No. 15 Iowa State (11-3) and No. 25 Colorado (9-4).
National champion Ohio State (14-2) was the unanimous No. 1 in the poll following its 34-23 victory over Notre Dame (14-2) on Monday night. The Irish ended the season at No. 2.
Oregon (13-1) finished the 2024 season at No. 3, followed by the Sun Devils' Peach Bowl opponent, Texas (13-3), at No 4. Also finishing ahead of ASU were No. 5 Penn State (13-3) and No. 6 Georgia (11-3).
The SEC placed the most teams in the final AP poll, earning seven of the top 22 spots. The Big Ten was represented by five teams in the poll, followed by the Big 12 and ACC with four each.
Final 2024 AP Top 25 College Football Poll
1. Ohio State (14-2)
2. Notre Dame (14-2)
3. Oregon (13-1)
4. Texas (13-3)
5. Penn State (13-3)
6. Georgia (11-3)
7. Arizona State (11-3)
8. Boise State (12-2)
9. Tennessee (10-3)
10. Indiana (11-2)
11. Mississippi (10-3)
12. SMU (11-3)
13. BYU (11-2)
14. Clemson (10-4)
15. Iowa State (11-3)
16. Illinois (10-3)
17. Alabama (9-4)
18. Miami (10-3)
19. South Carolina (9-4)
20. Syracuse (10-3)
21. Army (12-2)
22. Missouri (10-3)
23. UNLV (11-3)
24. Memphis (11-2)
25. Colorado (9-4)