ASU families and Sun Devils enjoy record Family Weekend 2024
Throughout the weekend of Oct. 4-6 you may have noticed A LOT of Arizona State University families strolling around campus, proudly donning their maroon, Sparky-illustrated gear as they enjoyed an exciting football weekend alongside their Sun Devils.
Attending everything from academic college meet-and-greets to ice cream socials, live performances, a festive pregame ASU Family Block Party, Spirit Hike up “A” Mountain and more, families enjoyed a three-day celebration of Sun Devil spirit, pride and tradition.
It was ASU Family Weekend, and your eyes were not deceiving you. The 2024 version of this annual tradition drew record participation.
The three-day weekend featured over 10,700 participants representing more than 3,200 registered families, a 7.9 percent increase over 2023. In-state family participation rose 16 percent, while out-of-state representation increased 2.6 percent this year. Many international families also attend Family Weekend, and that group saw a 102 percent increase from 2023.
ASU families not only showed up in record numbers, but reported they were happy with the events that enabled them to connect with their student’s college and campus, enjoy Sun Devil Football vs. Kansas game day activities (including discount tickets), and to spend quality time with their Sun Devils.
ASU Family post-event surveys suggested that families loved the Block Party — featuring university department and student club tabling, games and live student performances — along with the new pickleball tournaments held at all campus locations and the overall variety of fun activities provided.
Much of the success of Family Weekend 2024 can be attributed to overwhelming support from the greater ASU community. Staff and faculty at each campus held a variety of fun activities on Friday, Oct. 4 to help families kick off festivities, while academic colleges each hosted unique events that allowed family members to connect with their student’s college, mingle with staff and faculty, and meet other families.
Volunteers from departments across the university pitched in to help make the events a success, including staffing many tables at the signature ASU Family Block Party on Saturday, Oct. 5.
Seemingly growing bigger every year, Family Weekend is a tradition at the heart of ASU’s mission to ensure that the family members of Sun Devils have an opportunity for engagement with the university. Through attending events such as Family Weekend, families learn more about their students’ experiences and help contribute to their growth and success at ASU.
“It was a wonderful weekend seeing families connect with their students, many of whom had not seen each other since the move-in time in August,” said Martha Byrd, Assistant Vice President of ASU Family Initiatives. “Families seemed to really enjoy experiencing campus life alongside their Sun Devil. They were able to spend quality time together, get to know friends and roommates, visit favorite hangouts, connect with their academic college and experience the excitement of an ASU football weekend.”
Running in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month, Family Weekend 2024 featured a wide array of events on Friday through Sunday. Events ranged from educational and cultural activities to lifelong learning opportunities to just plain fun — like the picnic-style Family Block Party and the home football game at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe.
At check-in, families received a package of Sun Devil swag that included clear bags for football games, Sparky luggage tags, stickers, maroon-and-gold beads and more. Many family members also purchased a keepsake Proud ASU Family T-shirt as part of their registration, a maroon-colored keepsake prominently featuring Sparky to wear during ASU’s Maroon Monsoon weekend.
And fittingly, families who took advantage of the discounted Family Weekend football game tickets had a chance to experience ASU’s dramatic fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Sun Devil’s new Big 12 Conference opponent, Kansas.