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. 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.

ASU has historically produced notable athletes in baseball, football, swimming, track and field, and wrestling, among other sports. , 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, and more than 200 Sun Devil student-athletes have competed in the Olympic Games, winning a total of 66 medals.

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.

Baseball

Basketball

Football

Golf

Softball

+ Name Years played at ASU Notes Ref. 2005–2008 Pitcher, played in National Pro Fastpitch 2006–2009 2011 gold medalist at the Pan American Games, played in National Pro Fastpitch 2008–2011 2011–2014 Pitcher; later a graduate manager for ASU softball, represented Mexico at the 2020 Summer Olympics Represented Greece at the 2004 Summer Olympics 2018 2014–2017 2017–2018 1993–1997 Head softball coach, San José State 2014–2017

Swimming and diving

Soccer

+ Name Years played at ASU Notes Ref. 2012–2015 Played in the National Women's Soccer League and the Norwegian Toppserien 2002–2004 Played in Women's Professional Soccer and the National Women's Soccer League 2012 2019–2023 Played in the Vrouwen Eredivisie and Frauen-Bundesliga and for the Netherlands women's national team 2018–2022 Played in Liga MX Femenil and for the Mexico women's national team 2018–2022 2018–2022 First Sun Devil soccer player to be an All-American since 2002; played in the NWSL and USL Super League 2016–2019 2012–2015 Played in the NWSL 2021 Jamaican international 2021 Turkish international 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 2002–2005 2017–2018 Played professionally in England 2022–2023 2024 Olympian representing New Zealand 2018–2019 Played professionally in the U.S. and Germany 2005–2008 2018–2021 2025 1998–2000 2020–2022

Track and field

Tennis

+ Name Years played at ASU Notes Ref. Professional tennis player Chilean tennis player 2010–2013 Professional tennis player 2021–2024 Professional tennis player NCAA doubles champion at Auburn University before transferring to ASU 1982–1983 Professional tennis player 1999–2002 Professional tennis player 2022–2024 Professional tennis player 2016–2018 Professional tennis player Professional tennis player 1992 Olympian representing Canada 2017–2018 2017–2021 Professional tennis player Professional tennis player Professional tennis player 1971–1974 Professional tennis player 1999–2002 Professional tennis player 2024 Olympian representing the U.S. 2001–2003 Professional tennis player Professional tennis player and coach 1991–1992 Professional tennis player 2014–2017 Professional tennis player 1968–1972 Professional tennis player; collegiate doubles champion, 1972 Professional tennis player 1984–1986 1997–2001 Professional tennis player 1970 Professional tennis player 2018–2019 Professional tennis player 1994–1995 First NCAA men's singles champion in ASU history; three-time Olympian representing Armenia 1996 Olympian representing the Dominican Republic Professional tennis player and coach 2021–2025 Latvian tennis player 2019–2022 Professional tennis player

Wrestling and combat sports

+ Name Years played at ASU Notes Ref. Served in the U.S. Army; MMA coach 2001–2005 Wrestler and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter 1998–2001 Three-time All-American 2022–2024 Freestyle wrestler; competed in the 2024 Summer Olympics Represented Canada in wrestling at the 1988 Summer Olympics ASU's first female wrestler; represented the U.S. at the 2012 Summer Olympics 2014–2017 Wrestler and MMA fighter 2004–2005 Wrestler and MMA fighter Represented the U.S. in wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics 1985–1987 Wrestler and MMA fighter 1993 Represented the U.S. in wrestling at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics MMA fighter 2010–2011 2011 national champion at 157 lbs, professional MMA fighter 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 Wrestler; professional MMA fighter Professional MMA fighter Wrestler; professional MMA fighter 2008–2011 2011 national champion at 125 lbs, profiled in the 2024 film Unstoppable 1976–1978 Represented the U.S. at the 1976 Summer Olympics Wrestler; professional MMA fighter Represented the U.S. at the 1996 Summer Olympics 1989–1990 Represented the U.S. at the 1996 Summer Olympics 1977–1980 Wrestler and wrestling coach at ASU; MMA fighter MMA fighter; ASU assistant wrestling coach MMA fighter 2016–2020 2019 NCAA freestyle champion 2003–2005 Two-time All-American and MMA fighter; first heavyweight MMA or boxing champion of Mexican-American descent MMA fighter

Other athletics

+ Name Years played at ASU Notes Ref. Archer; represented the U.S. at the 1996 Summer Olympics 1983–1984 Archer; gold medalist for the U.S. at the 1987 Pan American Games and 1988 Summer Olympics Captain of the 1996 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team; graduated 2003 Water polo; represented Brazil at the 2016 Summer Olympics 2016–2019 Hockey goaltender; first ASU hockey player to play in the National Hockey League Triathlete; represented Australia at the 2016 Summer Olympics 2021–2023 Hockey forward 2002–2005 Gymnast; collegiate coach at Washington, Nebraska, Georgia and North Carolina Badminton; represented the U.S. at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics Water polo; represented China at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics Professional esports player; known for Counter-Strike 1992–1995 Volleyball 1985–1986 Gymnast 1985–1986 Gymnast 2017–2018 Triathlete Archer; represented the U.S. at the 1996 Summer Olympics 1984–1987 Badminton; three-time national men's doubles and singles champion, four-time All-American; 1992 Olympian representing the U.S. 1976–1980 Gymnast; coached Nia Dennis and Gabby Douglas Badminton; represented the U.S. at the 1992 Summer Olympics Sports shooting; 1960 Olympian representing the U.S. 1980–1984 Archer; represented the U.S. at the 1976, 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics 2018–2020 Triathlete Archer; represented the U.S. at the 1984 Summer Olympics 2021–2025 Hockey defenseman 2017–2020 Hockey defenseman 2024–2025 Hockey forward; highest-drafted ASU hockey player, 32nd overall in the 2025 NHL Draft Water polo; represented the Netherlands at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics Water polo; represented the Netherlands at the 2024 Summer Olympics Gymnast 1991–1994 Volleyball player Sports shooting; 2016 Olympian representing the U.S. 2024–2025 Ice hockey World-champion bareback bronc rider; 1968 intercollegiate bareback riding champion 1983–1986 Volleyball; represented the U.S. in the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics and won bronze in 1992 Water polo; represented Australia at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics Archer; represented Great Britain at the 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics 2009–2012 Volleyball player

References