TUCSON, Ariz. – Friday was a special day for head coach
Kevin Sumlin.
Sure, it was the first practice of his first training camp at Arizona, but it was also his birthday.
Did his players bake a cake or sing happy birthday?
"I didn't tell them," Sumlin said after Friday evening's practice. "I've had some bad things happen in the past. Some people have taken the liberty in the past to play jokes on their coach."
Still, one birthday wish came true for Sumlin and the rest of his program: training camp has arrived.
That means only four weeks remain until the season opener against Brigham Young University on Sept. 1 at Arizona Stadium. If Friday's first practice was any indication, the Wildcats are excited about what is to come in Sumlin's first season.
"Today is always fun because everyone has a lot of energy," Sumlin said. "We challenged them at the end: can we continue this energy not just today, but throughout the season and in particular the rest of the month."
For the Wildcats – and college football teams around the country – the next several weeks go a long way to shaping the identity of a team. But how they match up against a specific opponent or the rest of the conference landscape is the last thing on Sumlin's mind.
"We're worried about us," Sumlin explained. "You see signs around here 'it's about us'. That's not an arrogant thing. It's what our preparation is about. It's really an internal process to get the best guys on the field."
Arizona will again practice Saturday evening before a Sunday reprieve from physical activities. Then the schedule ramps up again with daily workouts and meetings Monday through Saturday next week. The busy schedule provides perfect opportunity for chemistry and camaraderie to build before fall semester classes begin later this month.
"This time of year, there's really nobody on campus besides us," Sumlin said. "It's a real chance to focus and be together during the day, eating meals and being around each other all the time. There's a chemistry building piece that comes along with playing the game."
Apparently, the chemistry building aspect did not include a players' rendition of "happy birthday" to the ball coach.
In four short weeks, however, everyone will be singing "Bear Down" when the new era officially kicks off.
FOLLOW THE CATS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For more coverage of training camp, be sure to follow Arizona Football on Twitter (@ArizonaFBall), Facebook (@ArizonaFootball) and Instagram (@ArizonaFootball).
OPERATION SELLOUT
Last month, Arizona Athletics announced "Operation Sellout" is underway for the season opener on Sept. 1. For every ticket purchased between July 30 and August 17, Arizona Athletics will distribute the same number of BYU game tickets to underprivileged youth groups in Southern Arizona.
Tickets for the Sept. 1 home game can be purchased through a variety of ticket packages offered by Arizona Athletics, including single-game, season, Flex Packs, group tickets, and the Wildcat Mobile Pass. Tickets purchased through any of these packages during the July 30 through August 17 timeframe will count towards the number of tickets matched by the UA. No additional action is required from fans looking to support "Operation Sellout."
2018 SEASON AND SINGLE-GAME TICKETS ON SALE
Season tickets provide the best per-game value and start at $70 for adults and $35 for youth. Single-game tickets for the Sept. 1 home game vs. BYU start at $13 for adults and $6 for youth (kids 3-12).
To purchase tickets visit ArizonaWildcats.com/FB. Fan can also purchase through the McKale Ticket Office, in person or over the phone (520-621-CATS) during normal business hours (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT).
SEASON TICKETS TO BE MAILED NEXT WEEK
All current season ticket orders will be in the mail beginning Aug. 6 and continuing through Aug. 8. Delivery dates will vary depending on the address they are being sent to, but most all fans should expect to receive their season ticket booklets by the week of Aug. 13. Any new season ticket orders in the coming weeks will be printed after their purchase and sent out for delivery.
WATCH: ARIZONA FOOTBALL FALL CAMP DAY 1
