They did well this season and ok last year, so they may have a fanbase that only engages when they're good.
Wazzu had more argument than you'd guess, but the sheer size of Phoenix probably made ASU inevitable.
I'd have loved to see Wazzu over Arizona and then bring in Arizona, Gonzaga, UConn and one other (SDSU, Villanova, ?) for basketball only, but not sure that would have been realistic