We did not plan a trip to watch a gymnastics meet at Desert Financial Arena, but we were so glad we went! The area where the arena is gorgeous. The football stadium is extremely close and both almost seem to be cut out of the mountain. All of the employees were nice and very helpful and finding our seats was a breeze read more

See all

Give 'em Hell, Devils! If you haven't attended a sporting event at Desert Financial Arena (DFA) you're missing out. The vibes in the stadium are electric (especially if you're in the student section). Recently, I've been coming here to watch the ASU women's basketball team stack up wins during this historic season. They currently remain undefeated at home. The stadium is located on Tempe campus a short walk away from a light rail station. There is also tons of parking available nearby. Ingress and egress from the stadium are super quick. Staff is friendly. There are a few options available for concessions and merch available if you need some more ASU swag. The stadium is aging and could use some updates but overall function for the purpose it serves. read more

Desert Financial Arena - ASU women's basketball team warming up - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

See all

Very organized entry and clean arena. Friendly workers r fat are very helpful. Light rail helps w the crowded streets. read more

This is the longtime home of ASU's men and women's basketball teams. It is also home to women's volleyball and the former home of women's gymnastics and men's wrestling. Desert Financial Arena has had multiple names and is located next to Sun Devil Stadium. It is an older arena that was built fifty years ago and holds 14,000 people. For the longest time is was called ASU Activity Center before they sold the naming rights. This facility also hosts graduation ceremonies and occasional concerts and shows. The arena itself is showing its age. They have done several renovations over the years, but ASU really needs to build a new arena for the basketball teams or completely redo this one. ASU Men's Basketball is long overdue for a good season and maybe a a new arena might be a good start to right the ship. This place will always remain special to me because my ASU graduation was inside of this arena. Plus I had ASU men's basketball season tickets as a student for serveral years. It can get pretty loud inside Desert Financial Arena when there is a sold-out crowd in the house. The Curtain of Distraction is a fun concept that the students came up with to try and distract the free-throw shooter on the opposing team. There are plenty of parking options right outside near Sun Devil Stadium and Mullet Arena or you can ride the Valley Metro light trail. For food, there are local restaurants all around the arena or you can grab food at the concession stands. read more

Desert Financial Arena - UCLA / ASU 01/17/24 - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

WOMEN'S BATHROOM Urinal in the first big stall. Changing table in the back small stall. It came up to about 4 foot 10 inches tall. Not enough space to stand in front of it and change your baby. RIDICULOUS! read more

It's a clear bag policy FYI LADIES!! Don't even try to bring any kind of bag in. Same security protocol as professional games now, no bags. They will make you take it back to your car. This arena like all others is oval in shape and the many times I have been there are always several entrances open and you can walk into any regardless of where your seat or section is. I attended the ASU Men's basketball game against Pacific in late December. We were in one the highest sections you could be and could still see very clearly the players and the game. Taking a look around there's really not a bad seat in the house. Being the highest up and not having to squint or ask my guy friends what happened or who is a good thing. Famous lemonade guy comes around with his 'lemonade just like mama made'. read more

Desert Financial Arena - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

See all

We recently attended my sister-in-law's graduation ceremony. It was busy, insanely busy. It seemed almost impossible to find parking and almost impossible to find seating inside. The seats were extremely uncomfortable and sitting there for 3+ hours was painful. I can't imagine sitting there if you have any sort of back, leg, neck, etc pain. If possible, bring a seat cushion. However, there is a clear back policy, which I was unaware of prior to coming. I had to leave my purse in the car, which was unfortunate. Based on all these items, I definitely wouldn't want to attend a game night here. read more

Desert Financial Arena - Warm pretzel - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

See all

Have been here a few times for graduations and sporting events. It's a nice venue and clearly well maintained. The space is clean - even during sporting events. If you need any sort of legroom, however, I'm sorry - you are out of luck. I have a knee problem so keeping my knee bent for long periods of time is problematic. Unfortunately there's no ability to stretch your leg in front of you here. I can't imagine what anyone over six feet deals with here. The other problem is getting up and down the stairs to your seat. There aren't handrails so if you have a knee that isn't reliable, like I do, well you are taking your chances. read more

It was our daughter' second rodeo there since she had earned a BA and walked into the Wells Fargo Arena at the time. Today she earned her master's degree and walked into the same Wells Fargo arena. It was extremely well organized and high security was in place. Not even a purse was allowed. Signed by proud mom! read more

See all

I attended ASU's convocation ceremony last night. The arena and setup were very nice. Security took forever and a day to get through. But my biggest complaint and concern is that the upper level DEFINITELY needs handrails. There is nothing to hold on to! The stairs aren't equal in size; there's a big step then a little step, big step, little step, which makes it very awkward to climb. The only thing you can do is bend way down and grab onto the seat backs. Again very awkward and dangerous. My parents are elderly and not real steady, so I worried about them. Thankfully, we didn't have to go up too far. The fact that it was a special ceremony, a lot of people were in dresses and heels. While we were sitting there, one lady did take a pretty good fall while going down the stairs and had to be helped up. Thankfully, I think she was okay. Probably feeling a little pain this morning, along with the humiliation as she, too, was in a dress and went down in front of everybody. I watched others going down the stairs holding on to each other and the chairs, trying to avoid a fall themselves. It's ridiculous! No reason there couldn't be a handrail going up the center for everyone's safety! Possibility of some very serious injuries and a lawsuit waiting to happen. read more

Annoyed I had to leave to hide my purse in a bush because they wouldn't let me in with the same crossbody bag I wore to Thursday nights ASU basketball game. I guess it depends on what hard ass employee you get that has to be the over achiever for the night when an out of town guest spends money to attend a game at their arena and won't let you in with a purse an inch bigger than restriction. I also offered to purchase a clear bag from the gift shop and load everything into that and she still said no. It was either empty my contents into my pockets and hide the bag or pay an Uber to take me back to the hotel to empty my purse and take me back to the arena. Currently sitting at the game counting all the purses bugger than mine that were allowed in hoping mine doesn't get stolen out of a bush. read more

After graduating out of this arena and recently watching a historic three point tsunami (record-tying 19 to be exact) against Central Arkansas, I have nothing bad to say about this arena. It's got an intimate feel to it, with the upper level definitely being smaller and more drawn-forward in person. Pretty much any seat is a good view in this place. If you go to ASU wrestling meets you get to sit wherever you want (general admission) so take advantage of that. Never tried the food but I'd imagine it's the expected standard college arena fare. Unless you're a Northern Mexico Wildcat, get your butt in the seats and let's cheer for the Sun Devils! read more

Desert Financial Arena - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

See all

ASU Basketball spends a tremendous amount of money on a very few student-athletes. 2017 I went to a basketball game and they did not allow straws or caps on cups. It was odd. Spend so much money on althletics yet trying to provide an environmental benefit. They have expanded their restaurant and concession stands and the straw ban has changed. This year they gave me a straw an cap. Bobby Hurley makes 1.2 million. He is a teacher of basketball. I want to know what a teacher of business makes. Or a teacher of English makes. They should be equally paid. read more

Desert Financial Arena - Great seats. Thanks Steve Kolesar a HOF baseball alumni. - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

See all

Have caught some Sun Devils games here. The arena is outdated quite a bit. Seats are tight and the place is all concrete. Tickets are priced reasonably but try to sit in the lower bowl if you can, you'll catch the action better. The video screen helps if you're in the upper sections. Food is expensive and lackluster. Paid $8 for a Coke. About the same for a "jumbo" hot dog that was not jumbo. Love the Sun Devils so I'll keep coming. Maybe the Hurley era will keep drawing larger crowds and Michael Crow will decide to invest some money into the facility. I'm not holding my breath though. Fork 'em Devils! read more

Wells Fargo Arena is an older venue in need of a significant facelift. It's a time capsule that hasn't changed much since its ASU Activity Center days. Incremental changes have been made over the years to (barely) maintain its relevancy. Fortunately, it should soon be seeing some money from the newly created ASU Athletic Facilities District to help with some serious upgrades. But do less than up-to-date amenities really matter? I say "no." The arena has a fantastic location at ASU and near light rail. Perfect size, much more intimate than US Airways Center. Great college sports. I highly recommend sports such as women's volleyball or women's basketball, which allow you to get up close and personal at a value price. For the price of one Phoenix Suns game, you can take the kids to half a dozen games at Wells Fargo! read more

See all

As a Sun Devil alum, staff member, and athletics fan, I have found myself in Wells Fargo Arena for men's basketball games throughout the last six years (and occasional women's basketball games). While I have been in much larger arenas, I think the Wells Fargo Arena is a great venue that isn't too large and isn't too small. Having just been to the rival basketball game (U of A at ASU), almost the entire arena was filled, and there was much spirit and passion on the parts of both sets of fans. Definitely a fun time! I have also enjoyed events in Wells Fargo Arena including the residential move-in experience, Sun Devil Welcome, student concerts, and graduation ceremonies. The arena is built in such a way that there is great flexibility in its layout and each year, ASU upgrades the arena a bit. Last year, a new mini-food court was added on the east side of the arena. read more

This place is old and needs to be imploded. It looks like it was built in the 1960's or 70's and hasn't had a facelift since. They need to improve the "Ring of Honor" photo displays in the arena....right now, it looks like a high school yearbook from 1965 instead of a modern display to honor the ASU Hall of Fame athletes who deserve to be honored in a better way. It's more hilarious than honorable. They did a good job at the football stadium, some Alumni should step up to make it happen here. The walkways to get to your seat are very narrow so when people are in line at the concession stands it's very difficult to walk around. Same thing if a line forms at the restrooms, it's difficult to walk by. The seats in the arena are very narrow too. I have no idea how anyone who weighs 250+ lbs can sit in them. The video board is not bad and it can get loud when it's full, which is a key to home team advantage. Overall, the game watching experience is the best attribute to this arena. It falls short on everything else. Return Factor - 75% read more

See all

Having recently moved to Phoenix from out of state, I figured it was worth visiting the arena to watch the ASU women's gymnstics team host the top ranked UCLA Bruins today. Was able to easily find free parking near the arena. My biggest criticism up front is that the parking spaces in their on-campus parking lot by the arena are entirely too narrow, to the point that you cannot open your door without fear of hitting the vehicle right by yours, What was frustrating the most was seeing potentially a handful of parking spots in each row wasted because of the fabulous drivers who could not park within the lines. If you are comparing this arena to other university arenas, this one is definitely on the outdated side. The perk of attending this meet was the fact that the tickets were general admission and I could walk into the meet 5 minutes before the start and easily find 2nd row seats in the corner. The venue is intimate enough where I could easily see the gymnasts warming up and competing. The seats are the old school metal folding seats which you'd expect to find at an old baseball stadium. We had no experience buying concessions or using the restrooms but I'd venture to guess it'd be on the so-so side as well. Overall, I'm glad we went- for a total of less than $25 (utilizing military discount), our family was able to watch a gymnastics meet that had Olympic gymnasts competing (granted, they were competing for the Bruins). This was money well spent to attend this meet instead of the post-Olympic gymnastics tour that basically was one big dance/watered down gymnastics show that was put on last year post-Rio (where tickets ranged in price from $40-300/each) read more

Ahhh...look at those crowds that Bobby Hurley brought to Wells fargo...just kidding..nothing has changed so far with Bobby Ball and the crowds attending games. It actually seemed like less students were at this non-conference contest and the curtain of distraction was lacking energy. Bobby will make ASU better, but he will have a hard time bringing more crowds to the bank. read more

Great arena to watch sporting events or concerts.I always love coming here to support my sun devils read more

See all

For add much as the students pay to go to school here they need to update the place s little. Plus water and snacks are expensive. read more

Desert Financial Arena - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

I do call this place "The Dump" but, in all honesty, I say it with a bit of endearment. Though the name itself is 100% corporate sellout (and I dare you to find me an institution more disgusting than the financial services sector to advertise anywhere), you'd never know this place has received a penny towards upkeep. The colors, the lighting, the layout -- polite conversation would will that I describe it as 'vintage'. I'll go as far as to say it is sincere to ASU. Rather than being an overall generic facility (looking at you, BOB and UP Stadium) with 'home team' artifacts bolted to the wall, WFA is a celebration of ASU's athletic programs. From the colors to the photos lining the concourse walls, to the upper bowl wallpaper made of shots of Sun Devil athletes, it's clear what WFA is trying to do. ASU seems to be all-in on Sun Devil Stadium and so WFA isn't anywhere near competing with McKale Center or Matt Knight Arena -- and this is reflective of the on-court product. Still though, it has ample parking, light rail access, and, more often than not, available tickets. read more

Ok at best. Needs some work, updating and some loyal fans to pack this house. Good concession food available. Close to bars/restaurants for pre-game festivities. read more

Nice arena on ASU campus! My first visit here was just to check out the arena and of course men's basketball. I plan to come back in the near future to see more games and maybe check out the the concessions. read more

I'm a wildcat but I will say Wells Fargo Arena is a good place to watch a basketball game. Recently my niece was here as a trainer for a visiting team. We got our tickets way up high but I could easily see the entire court and didn't feel so far. It's also very bright. Probably because of the ugly yellow and maroon all over the place.lol. Had to throw that in!!! read more

I have to be honest, I am not a sports fan by any means but I will interact with friends if I am invited (most don't invite me "BORING") I admit this place is beatiful, not many concession stands was open when I went and the one that was open was horrible $4.00 Cold Hotdog and $5.00 bottle of water (a case is $2.99 @ most markets) I now know that I should eat before I attend any arena but I wanted the entire experience....BTW my buddy team did win the game so it was worth the trip. read more

Love coming to see women's gymnastics and cheering them on but I must say the seats are so uncomfortable and there are no railings. Not many food vendors open either. The statium needs to be updated a lot. read more

A little on the small side, but a nice arena. There is really no bad seat in the house, so that's a win for this place.

Cool place. Went here for my friends ASU Graduation ceremony.

Wells Fargo Arena has the feel of an intimate, family friendly sporting complex. Although I was never an ASU student, I feel like part of the home team. I taught some psychology classes for ASU and worked on the Polytechnic campus for a stint. That should count for something. I've seen a women's basketball game and a gymnastics meet. Both times, It was general admission and the seats were great. At the basketball game I caught a shirt. The gymnastics meet was a Girl Scouting event. Around the inside walkway are trophies, team photos, and player photos. At the end of both events, we were allowed to walk around on the court/floor and my daughter was able to interact with the athletes while they autographed memorabilia. At the gymnastics meet, the women's team signed her shirt while she was wearing it. read more

Nothin' really special about this place. It's clean and host sporting events. Staff is always friendly and available if you need assistance. Does the job but like Sun Devil Stadium, it could use a makeover. read more

Went for a graduation. Haven't seen a game here but the stadium is pretty nice. The seats are a little worn and not the most comfortable but it was fine. Plus, graduation's aren't the most fun events but neccessary! read more

Kind of an outdated venue but when the ASU team is decent it can be a loud arena with a great college experience.

As most other reviewers are suggesting this is an ok place to watch a basketball game, but it is still very outdated in terms of renovations. However unlike most other reviewers i saw it in a different light. Most people were here for ASU athletics or a graduation. I was here for some fun. It is kind of amazing they leave the doors wide open for public use. You can walk in and hang out with your buddies or have a pickup game on the court if you wanted to. I pretty much had the venue all to myself. So I walked around on the court, looked at the rafters and such and was extremely happy. Who gets to slam dunk on a college hoop? Nobody really, except me. I did it. In terms of venue it very generic but still good. It gets the extra star for the wonderful people that let me in. Thanks WFA staff! read more

Stopped in to check out, and ASU women's preseason game was going on. Got in for free, stayed for first 10 minutes then left. This was very adequate from when it was built (late 60s?) to about 10 years ago, but ASU probably will need a new building in the not too distant future it it's to stay competitive with other schools. No suites and concourses not very wide. But all around the concourse there's a nice athletic Hall of Fame exhibit (Reggie Jackson, Barry Bonds, Phil Mickleson, Pat Tillman and many many others). Reminds me of Purdue's Mackey Arena but all seats at ASU have seatbacks. Views are good. Parking can be a pain if you don't have permits or are unwilling to pay; had to walk about 3 blocks on a Sunday afternoon from strip mall. read more