Like the very best advocates, the Hobbs family stands behind the curtain, yet have a huge impact on what goes on in front of them. Their influence has been felt on the fields and in the stands of Sun Devil Athletics for more than six decades.
Bob and Karen Hobbs have been Arizona State fans since they attended the university in the early 1960's. They met in a freshman sociology class in 1962 and were married just a few months later - a marriage that literally took place between rush parties on the Arizona State campus. That's a commitment, to your partner and to your school.
The Hobbs family has stuck with the university that handed them their degrees as they continued on in life. Bob and Karen were interested in getting involved as alumni, and that's what kickstarted their support of Sun Devil Athletics. They began with the football and basketball teams, attending many games at the Activity Center (as Desert Financial Stadium used to be known) and Sun Devil Stadium (now Mountain America Stadium).
As they recalled, one football game in particular stood out to both of them. It took place 54 years ago; however, both could recite the entire game easily. Arizona State football took on the University of North Carolina in the Peach Bowl in 1970. It was the Sun Devils' first bowl game in over 20 years. The game was a huge success, with ASU emerging with a 48-26 victory. But it was the weather that really got the laughter started between Karen and Bob. At halftime, it snowed heavily, something the Hobbs family wasn't used to being from the desert.
That game got them into supporting Sun Devil Athletics, which has been nothing but fun for the Hobbs family.
"I view our relationship with ASU as almost a hobby for me," Bob said, who also served as chairman of the Sun Angel Foundation board.
Speaking of relationships, that is what drew the Hobbs family to connecting with some of the ASU athletes. Fat Lever was scheduled to play basketball at ASU as a freshman for the 1978-79 season, but he needed to work during the students' winter and summer breaks. Bob Hobbs received a phone call and from that day on, Lever became an employee of Naumann Hobbs Material Handling.
The relationship between the Hobbs family and Lever did not end at just providing him a job. Lever says it was much more than that.
"I can't say enough, not just because of the job prospects, but because they became like foster parents for me," Lever said.
Whether it was sending Christmas cards, invitations to road trips up north, or just calling to check on him, the Hobbs family treated Lever like one of their own children. For a player who grew up in Arkansas and moved across the country to continue his basketball career, the opportunity to have a family like the Hobbs' by his side was priceless.
Lever and the Hobbs are friends to this day, and the relationships with ASU student-athletes have continued on.
Lever played four years at Arizona State before playing 11 years in the NBA, twice being named an All-Star.
When athletes from foreign countries come to Arizona State to continue their careers, it can be lonely. Their family isn't with them, and they are in an entirely new environment. The Hobbs family made it their mission to make the transition much easier, especially with the golf teams. Bob Hobbs Jr., Karen and Bob's son, takes great pride in what his parents did for those athletes.
"They'd travel to every single golf tournament whether it was men or women, and they would find the foreign athletes who didn't have families here and they would follow that athlete on the course, and not the one who had his mom, dad, brother, and sister there," he said. "They'd go with the players from Sweden whose parents couldn't even afford to come over here."
Karen and Bob followed these athletes as they went through the golf course, acting almost as if they were their parents. Lever puts it best when referencing the relationship that the Hobbs family created with a lot of these athletes.
"I think the relationship between the student and the donor is just as important to the student as it is to the donor," Lever said.
Linda Vollstedt, the Sun Devil Women's Golf Coach from 1980-2001 who won six national championships during her time, praises the Hobbs family for their consistent support of the team throughout her years of coaching.
"They got more familiar and fell in love with the players and we (the golf staff) all fell in love with them," she said.
Not only did the Hobbs family attend tournaments held at ASU, but they also traveled on the road. They attended five of the six national golf championships for Vollstedt's teams.
Karen is a huge proponent of women's sports and is a big part of the Wings of Gold fundraiser, which is held annually for all 14 of the Sun Devils' women's sports teams. This event allows donors to meet their favorite athletes face to face, along with the team coaches. She says that getting to know them is special.
"It's so much fun, and that's the payback," Karen said.
The Hobbs family has three separate places on campus they call home.
The Hobbs Family Stadium Club is located in Mountain America Stadium. It is a 2,500 square feet space that sits behind one of the end zones. The club serves a big purpose for Arizona State as any past letter-winning athlete can attend ASU football games and sit in the club. It is meant to honor those of the past, giving them a place to not only watch the game, but connect with other ASU athletes that return to see the current team. A photo on the wall includes Jake Plummer, Lisa Meredith and Bobby Lazor that was painted by well-known artist Steve Voita.
The second spot is their own suite. The family always comes first, but when they have open seats in their suite, they make sure Sun Devil fans are there to take their place.
"We always make sure when we can't be there, other Sun Devil fans are to cheer on the team," Bob Jr. said.
The third place on ASU property that references the family is the Hobbs House. This building houses the men's and women's golf teams, which is located inside the walls of The Bird at Papago Golf Club. The Hobbs House includes locker rooms, player lounges, a kitchen, study areas and training and player development centers. Even the original golf facility the family built, also named the Hobbs House, still remains and is now being used as a home for the Sun Devil Beach Volleyball team. Even though the original use changed, the Hobbs House sign did not, as the family is still honored there.
It is clear the university has had a huge impact on the lives of the Hobbs family. As you walk through their home, photos and memorabilia line the walls with memories they will never forget. Bob Sr. had a special 25th anniversary note placed on the Mountain America Stadium, while many years ago, Bob Jr. and Tom, their sons, were ball boys for Ned Wulk's hoops teams. It is clear that maroon and gold flow through the veins of the family.
The memorabilia sits alongside awards earned due to the family's gracious support of the university over the years. Most notably, Bob Sr. won the 1989 Frank Kush Award, which is given to an alumnus who shows great dedication to Sun Devil Athletics. These awards are held in high esteem in the Hobbs family home – a sense of true Sun Devil pride.
As Bob and Karen continue to enjoy their lives, Bob Jr. has spearheaded the family support of ASU athletics. He has seen his parents' contributions to the university over the years, but he also is continuing the legacy.
"I don't do it because they (parents) do it. I was just wired this way," he said.
It's Bob Jr.s' way of saying that the Hobbs family will always be there.
The scoreboard does not determine if the Hobbs will be there for each and every program at Arizona State. This family will be belting out the ASU fight song no matter if the Sun Devils are on the winning or losing side of the ledger. Their support is rooted in the relationships with each other, with the athletes, the teams and the coaches, and with the school itself.