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FOOTBALL GAME WEEK
We are officially in game week for the 2020 Arizona Football season! It's an exciting time to have our team return to competition and take the field on Saturday afternoon. There has been a change in the TV schedule for Saturday's season opener. The Wildcats will now face Utah at 1:30 p.m. (MST) in Salt Lake City on ESPN2, and you can also tune in to Brian Jeffries and Lamont Lovett on the radio call. You can listen in, starting with a pregame show ahead of the game, on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM in Tucson as well as our new affiliate KFNX 1100 AM in Phoenix. Fans can also Bear Down with the Wildcats by listening on the TuneIn app as well.
 


Coach Sumlin and the program announced their captains for the 2020 season, and I want to congratulate Bryce Wolma, Jalen Harris, Lorenzo Burns, Anthony Pandy and Grant Gunnell on earning this important honor. These five outstanding student-athletes were voted captains by their teammates, which speaks to their character and leadership. ArizonaWildcats.com continues to be our official home for Arizona Football game days, and it's a great place to read up on the game in addition to getting your gameday information. We've got a ton of great resources there for all of our loyal supporters, including our new 2020 Yearbook from Arizona IMG Learfield.

While we won't be able to welcome you to Arizona Stadium this season, we have a plethora of ways for you to stay engaged with Arizona Football in 2020. Our number of fan cutouts for Arizona Stadium continues to grow, and you can order yours or one for a family member or friend by clicking here. Please order yours before Wednesday, Nov. 11 to ensure it's installed for our home opener against USC on Saturday, Nov. 14. We also have a virtual sellout campaign launched with more details available on this option for fans.



Just in time for those holiday shoppers, Wildcat Fan Boxes are here! The Wildcat Fan Box include fun items such as the cups, pom poms, and custom decals with a limited number of boxes available. You can also upgrade to the premium edition and receive exclusive Arizona Wildcats Nike items, like a t-shirt or a backpack. The deadline to order is Monday, Nov. 9. This will ensure delivery before the holiday season. Click here to order one today.  

I want to thank you for your continued support of our athletics department during these trying times. As we begin this essential return to competition, it's important we remember how the Wildcat Family helped us reach this point. Bear Down and Go Cats!
 
STRONGER TOGETHER



We launched our "Stronger Together" campaign last week, which is an important student-athlete led initiative addressing racism, social injustice and equality. Amplifying the voices of our student-athletes is a fundamental part of our department's mission to provide opportunities for Wildcats to become academic, athletic and life champions.
 
It was inspiring to see our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee create, discuss and organize a unified, branded message of "Stronger Together". You will continue to see Stronger Together in a variety of communications and content throughout the year as this is more than a motto or a team theme. Stronger Together is about solidarity, empowerment and respect by embracing diversity.
 
NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH



Arizona Athletics is proud to celebrate Native American Heritage Month, and the 2020 celebration will continue to focus on the diverse stories of Native American heritage within our athletics department. Our athletics department is proud to recognize this important month alongside our campus partners as we help debut the new, official Native American Heritage logo.
 
We've hosted special festivities in the past during this month-long celebration, which we will reflect back on this month. Our A-Club Letterwinners Association will also tell the compelling stories of Wildcats of Native American descent on our various social media platforms.
 
We will include this special content in upcoming editions of Wildcat Wednesday.
 
CHEER RESPONSIBLY



Arizona Athletics is joining the Pac-12 Conference in asking all fans to cheer responsibly. Wherever you choose to watch your Pac-12 competition, we ask you to always follow your state and local health official guidelines and remember some key steps:
 

• Mask Up - Remember to wear your mask whenever you are around others from outside your home.
• Physical Distance - Remember to maintain a physical distance of at least six feet.
• Avoid Close Contact - Similar to physical distancing, remember to avoid close contact with those not living in your household. 
• Wash Your Hands - Remember to wash your hands often with soap and water.

 
BASKETBALL SCHEDULE BASELINE

With basketball season just around the corner, the Pac-12 Conference announced its men's basketball schedule shell for the entire league. This is the first official update to the program's 20-game league schedule offering match-ups and destinations on a week-to-week basis. Arizona will play its first Pac-12 game on Wednesday, Dec. 2 versus Colorado in McKale Center.
 
The official scheduling process for both our men's and women's basketball programs will be finalizing quickly, and we will continue to provide updates on all schedules in future Wildcat Wednesday emails as basketball seasons begin later this month.
 
WILDCATS RADIO 1290 AM

As we get ready for our teams to begin returning to competition, it is a perfect time to remind Wildcat Wednesday readers that Wildcats Radio 1290 AM is our flagship radio station here in Tucson. In addition to carrying Arizona game broadcasts, head coaches' radio shows as well as pregame and postgame shows, Wildcats Radio 1290 AM also hosts interviews with me as well as our coaches and student-athletes throughout the year. So be sure to tune in on your radio dial, visit their website or listen in on the TuneIn app.
 
WEAR THE COLORS – SHARE THE PHOTOS

Send us your photos of you wearing the colors while staying safe!

Thank you for wearing the colors and sharing your Arizona pride! Make sure to take a picture the next time you are wearing the colors and send it to us, we just might include it in next week's Wildcat Wednesday! And even if your photo submission doesn't make  next week's edition, 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.




 
Stay Safe, Bear Down and Mask Up!
 
Dave Heeke
Director of Athletics
University of Arizona
uofaad@arizona.edu