Thanks to your support, ASU Library’s fundraising campaign for Sun Devil Giving Day was a smashing success. We exceeded our goal of 50 donors and managed to raise more than $1800 toward the digitization of our ASU sports film footage archive. 

And now the real work begins.

We have identified 18 pieces of film and video for priority digitization. These materials have been shipped to our vendor where they are currently being digitized. Our goal is to have the materials fully accessible via the ASU Digital Repository by the start of the fall semester.

Thank you for supporting ASU Library and the online accessibility of our ASU sports heritage. We look forward to creating something meaningful together!

Please continue to support the library through the Library Excellence Fund, and stay updated on the latest progress of the Hayden Library reinvention coming in 2020! 

ASU Library

We'd like to extend a big, warm Sun Devil thank you to everyone who helped us make our Giving Day goal yesterday! Because of you, we successfully reached our goal of 50 donors! 

The digitization of hundreds of hours of ASU sports film footage begins today. We will keep you posted on the progress of this massive project. 

Much gratitude to all of you, and GO DEVILS!

(Our page will be live for several more days, so if you did not have a chance to donate yesterday, there's still time!)

- ASU Library 

We are nearly there!! (80% of the way!)

Thank you to all who contributed to our Giving Day campaign! We have made tremendous progress and now only need 10 more gifts to meet our goal of 50 donors! 

The clock is ticking... will we make it?! 

Help us unlock the spark! 

When ASU alum Rachel Sims learned of ASU Library’s Giving Day effort to digitize hundreds of hours of ASU sports film footage, she immediately thought of her father.

Sims’ father is Mike Sims, No. 42, who was part of the ASU men’s basketball team from 1975-1980, under ASU Coach Ned Wulk.

Growing up, Rachel and her sister heard their father’s many stories about his days playing basketball with the Sun Devils, and was excited about the possibility of getting to see him play.

“My sister and I have always wanted to see our dad play, and now we actually can,” said Rachel, who is pledging her support today.

Mike Sims’ athletic career at ASU took place during some of ASU basketball’s finest years, including the 1979-80 season when they finished second and made it the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

“He has said there is footage of him getting a fast break dunk. He remembers watching that film after a game, so my hope is that his memory is correct!” Rachel said.

The archival materials, soon to be digitized, include some of the seasons Mike played for the Devils:

Basketball Highlights 1975-76. Title: “Time Bomb Highlight Tape Ticking” – 16MM Motion Picture

Basketball Highlights 1976-77. Title: “Looking Good; 1976” – 16MM Motion Picture

Basketball Highlights 1977-78. Title: “Mission Possible” – 16MM Motion Picture

Basketball Highlights 1979. Title “The Year of the Young Devils” – 16MM Motion Picture

Following his basketball career, Mike went on to get his PhD in engineering at ASU, and Rachel is now living with her husband in the same house her dad lived in – in the Maple Ash historic neighborhood of Downtown Tempe – the same house that hosted her dad’s infamous post-game parties, she says.

Sun Devil Giving Day is finally here! 

And we've already raised more than $1,000 to support the preservation of ASU sports history! We are more than halfway to our goal. Every little bit counts! Thank you for your generous support, and happy Sun Devil Giving Day! 

We are just one week away from Sun Devil Giving Day, and we are almost halfway to our goal!

Thank you to everyone who has donated to our campaign so far! Your generous support will help ensure that our ASU sports history is preserved for generations to come!

Go Devils!