Arizona State University climbed ahead of rival University of Arizona in the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings released today, and remained the most innovative institution in the country.

Why it matters: As universities face changing demographics and skepticism about the value of postsecondary education, competition between institutions has become steeper.

The big picture: The share of Americans who say college is "very important" plummeted over the past decade, according to Gallup polling released earlier this month.

• Universities are now in a position of having to prove their worth to a dwindling population with a multitude of options.

Between the lines: The annual rankings are determined by 17 categories that evaluate student outcomes, academic resources and reputation.

• Caveat: Because the national rankings include more than 400 schools, small rank changes are often statistically insignificant, "reflecting normal data fluctuations rather than shifts in quality," according to U.S. News & World Report.

The intrigue: This is the 11th straight year ASU has notched the top spot in the innovation category.

• The peer-nominated category is determined by a survey of top academics. ASU has earned the No. 1 spot each year since the category's inception.
• The title is both a point of pride and a recurring joke among alumni.

The latest: Over the past year, the university announced its intention to open a new ASU Health headquarters in downtown Phoenix and expanded its semiconductor programs.

What we're watching

Steve Nash is back to give another assist to the Phoenix Suns, this time from the front office instead of the court.

State of play: Nash is rejoining the team as a senior adviser, Suns owner Mat Ishbia announced yesterday.

• "Steve Nash was an amazing player and exactly what the Phoenix Suns are all about. His grit, toughness, and winning mentality have defined our organization in the past," Ishbia wrote on X, adding that the former player "will help us define our future for years to come!"

Catch up quick: The Hall of Famer is among the Suns' all-time legends, winning back-to-back MVPs in 2005 and 2006 as he led the team through its exhilarating "seven seconds or less" era.

• It was Nash's second stint in Phoenix, where he spent the first two years of his career before going to the Dallas Mavericks.
• He left the Suns in 2012 to join the Los Angeles Lakers, retiring in 2015.
• He coached the Brooklyn Nets from 2020 to 2022.

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Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport held onto its top-three ranking in this year's airport satisfaction study.

The big picture: For the second consecutive year, J.D. Power ranked Sky Harbor the No. 3 "mega airport" in North America.

State of play: The Phoenix airport ranks only behind Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in its category.

• Mega airports are defined as those with at least 33 million passengers annually.

Zoom in: In order of importance, the rankings were based on:

• Ease of travel
• Level of trust
• Terminal facilities
• Airport staff
• Departure to airport experience
• Food, beverage and retail
• Arrival from airport experience

The study used answers from 30,439 surveys completed by residents of the U.S. and Canada.

Between the lines: Mike Taylor, practice lead for the airport study, told Axios that Sky Harbor was in the top five for most categories, and its highest ranking was for airport staff, which includes mostly TSA employees and food and beverage wait staff.

• Survey respondents also viewed Sky Harbor as spacious and relatively calm, though slightly boring compared to the average mega airport, he said.

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👀 The Arizona Court of Appeals declined to take up AG Kris Mayes' appeal of a judge's ruling that she must send her case against the 2020 fake electors back to a grand jury. (TK)

• Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for the AG's Office, declined to comment on whether Mayes will appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court.

🎓 Gov. Katie Hobbs appointed businessperson Jimmy McCain, youngest son of former U.S. Sen. John McCain, to the Arizona Board of Regents. (12 News)

🏈 Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner will miss the rest of the season after suffering an ankle injury in Sunday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers. (ESPN)

🔭 UofA astronomers helped discover a baby planet outside our solar system. (KJZZ)

Fall Restaurant Week is here and there are plenty of tasty options across the Valley.

How it works: More than 250 Arizona restaurants are offering multiple-course, prix-fixe dinner and lunch for $33, $44 or $55.

• The specials are available through Sept. 28.

Best bites: Some of our tried and true Axios Phoenix favorites are participating.

• Espiritu: This renowned downtown Mesa cocktail bar and eatery invites diners to choose from a main course of mesquite cold smoked sea bream or beef and pork Sonoran noodles. ($55)
• Eureka!: This California chain opened its first Arizona location in Tempe last year. We suggest pairing the Fresno fig burger with the bourbon barrel cake. ($33)
• Wren & Wolf: This vibey, upscale spot in downtown Phoenix is serving up pesto spaghetti for $33, 12-hour oxtail pasta for $44 or upgrade to Alaskan halibut or beef tenderloin for $55.