NOTE: This will be the last Wildcat Wednesday before the holiday break. Wildcat Wednesday will return on Wednesday, Jan. 10.
HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON
The time of year has come to gather together with family and friends and celebrate the holidays. I know I'm looking forward to a snow-free Christmas break here in Tucson, something my family and I haven't experienced in a long time, coupled with a trip to San Francisco for the Foster Farms Bowl. In addition to the football game against Purdue, we'll be hosting a few men's and women's basketball games over the break, so if you're in town and have people coming to visit, bring them out to a game or two and cheer on your Wildcats.
My wife Liz and I are getting settled in, and even though things have been moving at a fast pace since we arrived, we've gotten a chance to get to know many of you. We appreciate how you've welcomed us in to the Wildcat family; so on behalf of our staff, coaches and student-athletes, we want to wish Wildcats everywhere a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
TERRITORIAL CUP SERIES UPDATE
With the fall seasons wrapping up, I was asked for an update on the Territorial Cup Series and where it stands. Currently, we are in the lead, 4-1. We took the points in volleyball, soccer and men's and women's cross country, while ASU got their point from football. There are still 15 points up for grabs during the winter and spring sports, starting with the men's basketball game on Dec. 30. While we'd certainly like to have a 5-0 lead after the fall sports, we're in a good position and we're hopeful we can take the series this year.
SCHOOLER, FIELDS II, WILBORN EARN FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA HONORS
We've mentioned a few times throughout the fall how excited we are about some of the young talent in our football program, and earlier this week, a pair of freshman linebackers, Colin Schooler and Tony Fields II, were recognized by ESPN for their outstanding seasons. The duo took up two of the three linebacker spots on the outlet's Freshman All-America team. Then, Schooler and defensive end Kylan Wilborn were named to USA Today's Freshman All-America team.
Heading into the bowl game, Colin has posted 88 tackles, 13.5 tackles-for-loss, four sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble. The Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, his 13.5 TFL led all FBS freshmen and were the most by an Arizona freshman in at least 20 years.
Tony notched equally impressive numbers with 91 tackles, 6.5 TFL, four sacks and an interception. He ranks ninth among all Pac-12 defenders at 7.6 tackles per game, which also ranks second nationally among freshmen. The 91 tackles are the most by an Arizona freshman in at least 20 years.
Kylan finished the regular season with 33 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. A second-team All-Pac-12 selection by the Associated Press, he leads all Power 5 freshmen in sacks and his four forced fumbles are the second most among all FBS players.
When you combine these recognitions with Khalil Tate's presence on a number of 2018 preseason Heisman Trophy watch lists, it's no secret the future is bright for Arizona football. Congratulations on these deserved honors.
2018 FOOTBALL TICKETS
It's not too soon to start thinking about football season tickets for next year. We're currently taking deposits for the 2018 season. For just $75, you can lock in a seat for the 2018 home season, which includes visits from BYU, USC and ASU. The balance on your deposit will be due on May 1. If you're still shopping for your favorite Wildcat, you can make a deposit on a 2018 football season ticket as a gift as well. Click HERE to make your deposit now.
FOSTER FARMS BOWL
I want to share one last reminder to help support our football program at the Foster Farms Bowl. We're playing the Purdue Boilermakers on Wednesday, Dec. 27 in Levi's Stadium. Tickets can be purchased from the McKale Ticket Office through Tuesday, Dec. 19. Click HERE to buy online.
If you're headed to the game, come join us for the official pregame party. The party is scheduled for 3-5 p.m. at the Hilton Santa Clara (4949 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara, CA 95054) and includes all-you-can-eat and drink (beer, wine and soda). For more information and to purchase tickets, click HERE. The deadline to RSVP is Wednesday, Dec. 20. Attention Wildcat Club members, be on the lookout for an email with a promo code giving you the opportunity to purchase tickets for just $30.
Of course, we want to see you at the Foster Farms Bowl, but we know not everyone can make it. A great way to support the program during bowl season is to purchase tickets for us to donate to military personnel from the Bay Area. You can do this by clicking HERE and entering the promo code TROOPS2017. You can find more information on our bowl game at ArizonaWildcats.com/bowlgame.
Thank you to everyone who has already purchased tickets. We're looking forward to seeing everyone there.
MCKALE TICKET OFFICE HOLIDAY HOURS
The McKale Ticket Office will be closed from Saturday, Dec. 23 through Monday, Jan. 1. We will re-open on Tuesday, Jan. 2 at 9 a.m. to resume normal business hours. As a reminder, you can visit www.arizonawildcats.com 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to purchase tickets. We will open at noon on Saturday, Dec. 30 for the men's basketball game against ASU and stay open through halftime.
BASEBALL OFFERING A 10-GAME FLEX PASS
New for the 2018 season, our baseball program is offering a 10-Game Flex Pass for only $70. This pass will allow fans to use 10 tickets however they choose for any of the 29 home games. For example, fans may use one ticket to 10 different games, two tickets to five different games or 10 tickets to one game. Click HERE for tickets or call (520) 621-CATS (M-F, 9-5 pm).
THREE HOME GAMES IN SIX DAYS FOR WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Coach Barnes and our women's basketball team will host three home games in McKale over a six-day span. We'll begin the three-game home stand on Thursday, Dec.14 at 11 a.m. when we welcome local schools for our ninth annual School Day in McKale. The home stand will continue on Sunday with Hawaii at 2 p.m. It's our Happy Holiday theme day. Come get a picture with Santa and be sure to bring a Teddy Bear to the game for a chance to win a prize during our second annual teddy bear toss. All teddy bears will be donated following the game. The three-game stand will wrap up on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. when we host Southern Utah. For tickets or more information, call (520) 621-CATS or click HERE.
MEN'S BASKETBALL AT MCKALE OVER THE HOLIDAYS
We have a couple of men's basketball games in McKale during the holiday season. We'll play North Dakota State on Dec. 18, UConn on Dec. 21, and Arizona State on Dec. 30. All three games start at 7 p.m. Pairs are available for the NDSU and UConn games, but only singles (and a very limited amount) remain for the ASU game. We also have a handful of Holiday Packs, which get you tickets to all three home games. Click HERE to buy online.
GYMCATS SEASON COMING SOON
Gymnastics will open its season on Saturday, Jan. 6 as we host Denver, Rutgers and New Hampshire for a quad meet at 4 p.m. in McKale. Doors open at 3 p.m. Be sure to get there early, wear red and cheer loud. Season tickets are still available and start at just $26. Click HERE or call (520) 621-CATS to purchase your tickets.
MAKE YOUR PLANS FOR THE PAC-12 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
The Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament will take place in Seattle's Key Arena from March 1-4. If you're thinking about making the trip to support our Wildcats, Visit Seattle is the place to go for all the information you need including hotel options. Click HERE to learn more.
TWITTER GIVEAWAY
Congrats to Maria Brown (@mgbrown1959) for being selected as this month's winner of the Wildcat Wednesday Twitter Giveaway. A member of the athletics department staff will DM you with more information on how to secure your prize so make sure you're following @AZAthletics.
Once a month, we'll provide a phrase accompanied by the twitter handle @Dave_Heeke and the hashtag #HeekeTwitterGiveaway for Wildcat Wednesday subscribers to tweet. We'll select the winner at random and announce in a Wildcat Wednesday the following month.
Here is this month's Twitter giveaway message:
Happy Holidays to Wildcats everywhere.
@Dave_Heeke #HeekeTwitterGiveaway
UPCOMING SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
To view the list of upcoming events, broadcast information, start times and stat links, click HERE. (Note: All times are listed as Mountain Standard Time, i.e. Tucson time.)
To access live stats from your desktop or mobile device, visit ArizonaLiveStats.com.
WEAR THE COLORS – SHARE THE PHOTOS
Thank you for wearing the colors and sharing your Arizona pride! If your photo submission did not make this week's edition of the Wildcat Wednesday, please check our "Wear the Colors" album at facebook.com/ArizonaAthletics on Fridays.
NOTE: Please submit photos for Wildcat Wednesday with an original email to uofaad@arizona.edu using the subject line 'Wildcat Wednesday photo.' Also, please ensure all submissions are clear and properly lit. We also ask that you identify everyone in the photo so we can highlight them accordingly.
Continue to do what you can to help Arizona Athletics and:
- Accept the Bear Down Challenge
- Buy Season Tickets
- Wear the Colors (Especially on Friday)
- Encourage Others to Do the Same
Bear Down with Pride,
Dave Heeke
Director of Athletics
University of Arizona
uofaad@arizona.edu