Top 10 Arizona sports stories of the year, as selected by FOX Sports Arizona staff.
After seven years under the direction of Lisa Love, the Arizona State University athletic department took on new leadership with the promotion of Steve Patterson to vice president for athletics.
University president Michael Crow announced the change on March 27, promoting Patterson from the position of chief operating officer.
Love's exit did not come as a major surprise with the school's marquee sports -- football and men's basketball -- mired in prolonged streaks of mediocrity. The football team hadn't produced a winning season since 2007 and the basketball team had made just one NCAA Tournament appearance in six seasons.
Love's tenure included the hiring of football coaches Dennis Erickson and Todd Graham and basketball coach Steve Patterson.
Many saw Patterson as ASU's AD-in-waiting since his July 2011 arrival. He brought with him professional management experience as an executive with NFL and NBA franchises and possessed the business-oriented thinking ASU wanted to inject into the athletic department.
Patterson got to work quickly, announcing renovation plans for Sun Devil Stadium just days after his promotion. He is also believed to have been the driving force behind ASU's hiring of Graham.
-- Tyler Lockman
