Arizona State University — picked in the preseason conference poll to finish dead last — is favored to win tomorrow's Big 12 Championship Game.

Why it matters: Head coach Kenny Dillingham promised to restore glory to the football program after an era plagued by scandal and subpar performance.

• In his second season — and ASU's first in the Big 12 Conference — Dillingham and his players have exceeded expectations.

The big picture: The Sun Devils take on Iowa State at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, tomorrow.

• The winner is guaranteed a spot in the new 12-team College Football Playoff.

State of play: ASU is coming off a five-game win streak, including several impressive underdog wins against ranked teams.

• The Sun Devils' leading receiver, Jordyn Tyson, was injured in last week's win over the University of Arizona and will miss the championship game and potential playoff run.

Zoom in: The game kicks off at 10am on ABC.

• Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers (which recently released the Skatteburger to honor star running back Cameron Skattebo) will host watch parties at all Arizona locations.

Zoom out: Sun Devil fans headed to Arlington for the matchup will be met by a Texas-sized welcoming committee — there are more ASU alumni in the Lonestar State than in any state other than Arizona and California, Arizona's Family reported.

The intrigue: The Big 12 champion will likely be the only Power Four conference champ to not get a first-round playoff bye — which has Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark fuming.

• The four highest-ranked conference champions will secure a bye, and Boise State of the Group of 5 Mountain West Conference is currently ranked above both ASU and Iowa State.

What we're watching: If Boise State loses to UNLV in the Mountain West championship tonight and ASU beats Iowa State, the Sun Devils will clinch a bye and have a good shot of playing with home-field advantage in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinals game on Dec. 31, per Arizona Sports.

• It would be the first time ASU has played in the Fiesta Bowl since 1983.

Light 'em up

Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls, whose city often bears the brunt of illegal border crossings, expects to see significant changes in border security policies under the incoming Trump administration. 

The big picture: Increasing border security and cracking down on illegal immigration were among the pillars of Trump's campaign platform.

• Tom Homan, who served as Trump's Immigration and Customs Enforcement director in his first term and will be the president-elect's border czar in the new administration, visited the U.S.-Mexico border in Cochise County on Wednesday.
• He pledged that the Trump administration will "develop plans today to help these sheriffs make their communities safer and secure the border once again."

Zoom in: While many details of Trump's border security plans remain unknown, Nicholls has ideas about what he wants and expects.

• Speaking to Axios shortly after the election, the mayor said he anticipated Trump would reinstate the "Remain in Mexico" policy implemented during his first term. It would require migrants attempting to enter the U.S. to wait in Mexico until their immigration hearings.
• Nicholls said he also expected to see the completion of segments of Trump's border wall that weren't finished from 2017 to 2020, as well as increased funding for ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations division.

What they're saying: Nicholls said he expects to see "a lot more local engagement, a lot more issue-addressing" on border security from Trump than he did in President Biden's administration.

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Sweetgreen, a fast-casual salad chain with a cult-like following, will soon open two Arizona locations.

Why it matters: The chain has become a fixture in major metros across the country but ignored Arizona — until now.

Zoom in: The company announced it signed leases at Scottsdale Quarter and in the former Tomaso's building at Camelback Road and 32nd Street. It did not share opening dates.

What to expect: Our Axios colleagues in Sweetgreen markets tell us the trendy salads are worth a try.

• The salads and bowls are packed with fresh veggies, creative sauces and heaping protein portions (including steak and salmon) for a light but filling meal.
• Yes, but: They're pricey. Most menu options cost $13-$16.

The intrigue: Arizona has its own home-grown salad fast-food chain in Salad and Go.

• Founded in Gilbert in 2013, it's since opened 135 locations across Arizona, Texas, Nevada and Oklahoma and has plans for continued national expansion.
• Most of its salads run $6.79.

My thought bubble: It's hard to imagine trading my economical Greek salad at Salad and Go for a $15 Sweetgreen bowl.

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🔌 Utility companies can now request annual rate increases under a policy adopted by the Arizona Corporation Commission. (ABC15)

🛬 Phoenix and Tempe reached an agreement over a years-long dispute about development near Sky Harbor International Airport. (KJZZ)

🪨 The Sunnyslope Rock Garden was designated as a historic site by the Phoenix City Council. (AZcentral)

🛰 Yuma hopes to bring a spaceport to the city for smaller companies that want to launch satellites. (Arizona's Family)

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