Wildcats Host Rainbow Warriors to Open 2025 Football Season

TUCSON, Ariz. — The Arizona Wildcats (0-0) and Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors (1-0) square off this Saturday afternoon at Arizona Stadium, marking the beginning of the 2025 football season for the Wildcats.

Saturday's game will be televised on TNT with an online stream available via HBO Max — on the call will be J.B. Long, Mike Golic Jr., and Allie LaForce. It will also be broadcast live on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM with play-by-play from Brian Jeffries.

Tickets for Saturday's season opener are available for purchase and can be secured HERE.

Two legendary Wildcats will return to Arizona Stadium for this weekend's game — wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and defensive back Randy Robbins have both been added to the Arizona Football Ring of Honor and will be recognized for their achievements in-game on Saturday.

Continue below for more news, notes, and information in advance of Saturday's season opener.

Arizona Notes & Numbers

• The Arizona Wildcats kick off the 2025 season, their second under the leadership of Head Coach Brent Brennan, this weekend at Arizona Stadium against the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors.
• Saturday's game will be televised on TNT and available online via HBO Max with J.B. Long (PxP), Mike Golic Jr. (Analyst), and Allie LaForce (Reporter) on the call. It will also be broadcast live on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM with Brian Jeffries (PxP), Lamont Lovett (Analyst), and Mackenzie Hamilton (Sideline) on the call.
• The Wildcats have won three consecutive season openers, dating back to 2022, and are 86-30-5 all-time in their opening game of the season. The Cats have also won two straight home openers, with their last home debut loss coming in 2022 to Mississippi State. Arizona is 92-22-5 all-time in home openers.
• Head Coach Brent Brennan won his first ever game in charge of the Wildcats in 2024, taking down New Mexico on a score of 61-39. Brennan is 5-3 all-time in season openers as a head coach.
• Arizona Football lettermen WR Tetairoa McMillan and DB Randy Robbins have been honored with selections into the Arizona Football Ring of Honor. They will both be recognized in-game during Saturday's contest.
• The Wildcats coaching staff was shaken up during the offseason, highlighted by new faces at all three coordinator positions. Seth Doege now serves as Offensive Coordinator / QB Coach, Danny Gonzales now serves as Defensive Coordinator, and Craig Naivar now serves as Special Teams Coordinator.
• Arizona's offense is led by redshirt junior QB Noah Fifita. He ranks 8th in program history with 5,955 passing yards and 7th all-time with 44 passing touchdowns.

SOME GAME THEMES: The Arizona Wildcats open the 2025 season, their second under the direction of Head Coach Brent Brennan, on Saturday night at Arizona Stadium against the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors...Saturday's game will be televised on TNT with play-by-play from J.B. Long and broadcast live on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM with play-by-play from Brian Jeffries, the Voice of the Wildcats...The Wildcats have won three consecutive season openers, dating back to 2022, and are 86-30-5 all-time in their opening game of the season...The Cats have also won two straight home openers, with their last home debut loss coming in 2022 to Mississippi State...Arizona is 92-22-5 all-time in home openers...Head Coach Brent Brennan won his first ever game in charge of the Wildcats in 2024, taking down New Mexico on a score of 61-39, improving his record in season openers to 5-3 all-time...Saturday will also be the Wildcats Pacific Islander Heritage game; as part of the festivities, former standout wide receiver and first round NFL Draft pick Tetairoa McMillan (2022–24) will be honored for his inclusion in the Arizona Football Ring of Honor...Former All-Pac-10 defensive back Rany Robbins (1980–83) will also be recognized for his Ring of Honor induction during the game...Arizona and Hawai'i are also connected through former Head Coach Dick Tomey, who sterred both programs during his tremendously successful career...Saturday will be the first time the two programs play since Coach Tomey's passing in 2019...Arizona Head Coach Brent Brennan is first cousion to Colt Brennan, the legendary former Hawai'i quarterback.

CATS COACHES: Head Coach Brent Brennan leads the Wildcats for his second season in 2025; he is accompanied by a mix of new and returning coaches. The Wildcats coaching staff features three new coordinators this season: Seth Doege will lead the Widlcats offense and quarterbacks, Danny Gonzales will serve as the team's Defensive Coordinator, and Craig Naivar will spearhead special teams efforts. Doege and Naivar are new to the program, while Gonzales spent the 2024 season leading the Wildcats special teams and linebackers. Also new to the Wildcats coaching staff in 2025 are Associate Head Coach / Defensive Line Coach Joe Salave'a, Tight Ends Coach Josh Miller, and Linebackers Coach Josh Bringuel.

WATCH THIS SPACE: The Wildcats core of returners and talented class of incoming players have garnered an impressive 12 preseason watch list selections. Ranging from the Maxwell Award to the Polysensian Player of the Year Award, 10 different players picked up national recognition of some sort; the group is led by quarterback Noah Fifita, who earned a spot on three separate watch lists.

NOAH'S ARC: Redshirt junior quarterback Noah Fifita returns under center to lead the Wildcats offense in 2025. The California native has logged three seasons and 27 games with the Wildcats since his true freshman campaign in 2022. Over that span he has etched his name into the Arizona record books and looks to cement his legacy even further this season. Fifita enters the year with 5,955 career passing yards and 44 career passing touchdowns, marks that ranks eighth and seventh in program history, respectively. Fifita is 18 yards shy of moving past Keith Smith (1996–99) for seventh all-time, while also standing one passing touchdown shy of a tie for sixth and two shy of a tie for seventh. The fourth-year signal caller was selected to a trio of watch lists this preseason, earning national recognition from the Maxwell Award, the Polynesian Player of the Year Award, and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

RUNNING WILD: The Wildcats running back room added two proven rushers from the transfer portal this offseason: Ismail Mahdi (Texas State) and Quincy Craig (FCS Portland State). Between the two veteran running backs, Arizona added 6,701 all-purpose yards to the program. Mahdi has logged time at Houston Christian (2022) and Texas State (2023–24) and earned three All-Sun Belt selections in 2023 & 2024, and three All-America nods as an all-purpose player in 2023. Craig logged three seasons at Portland State (2022–24) and earned All-Big Sky Honorable Mention recognition as a sophomore in 2023. In anticipation of his contributions this season, Mahdi was selected to the Paul Hornung Award Preseason Watch List.

COOL HAND LUKE: Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Luke Wysong has been honored with a spot on the Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club announced earlier this month. The Biletnifkoff Award is presented annually to the nation's most outstanding FBS receiver; any player, regardless of position, who catches a pass is eligible for the award. Arizona wideout Tetairoa McMillan was one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award last season prior to becoming a first round NFL Draft selection. Wysong, a transfer in his first year with the Wildcats, began his collegiate career with four seasons at New Mexico. Across four seasons and 37 games (25 starts) with the Lobos he combined to tally 134 receptions for 1,465 yards and three touchdowns. Wysong's breakout campaign came as a redshirt junior in 2024, when the Rio Rancho native pulled in 69 catches for 840 yards, marks that led the team and earned him All-Mountain West Second Team honors. In 11 starts last season Wysong registered three 100-yard receiving games, five-plus receptions 10 times, and an average of 12.2 yards per catch. He pulled in his lone touchdown of the season against the Wildcats at Arizona Stadium, finishing the game with eight receptions for 129 yards and one score.

STATE 48: The Wildcats have made in-state recruiting a priority — keeping top talent at home is a crucial piece of the program's success historically and will continue to be emphasized under Head Coach Brent Brennan. Of the 110 players on the Wildcats 2025 roster, 29 of them hail from hometowns in the 48th state in our union; those Arizona players account for over a quarter (26.4%) of the roster. Included in that bunch are four players who call Tucson home — they are highlighted in the table below.

NO FLY ZONE: Redshirt senior Dalton Johnson, redshirt senior Treydan Stukes, and junior Genesis Smith form the veteran core of the Wildcats defense in 2025 and anchor what promises to be one of the most formidable defensive secondary's in the Big 12 Conference. Johnson, entering his fifth season in Tucson, led the team with 94 tackles last season and sports 189 on his career, including 11 for loss and two sacks. He was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention after his breakout performance last season. Stukes, a former All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention selection, was limited to just four games in 2024 but has accumulated three interceptions and 22 pass breakups over the course of his collegiate career. His 27 career starts at Arizona are the most on the entier roster. Smith, a breakout star in 2024, appeared in all 12 games for the Wildcats as a true sophomore and posted 63 tackles, a team-leading three interceptions, and six pass breakups. He was named Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 18, 2024 after logging seven tackles and one interception in a win over Houston.

PUT A RING ON IT: Two standout Arizona Wildcats, wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and defensive back Randy Robbins, have been selected to the Arizona Football Ring of Honor, Arizona Athletics announced earlier this month. Both will be honored at the Wildcats 2025 home opener against Hawai'i on Saturday, Aug. 30 at Arizona Stadium. McMillan, a star wideout for the Wildcats from 2022-24, finished his career as the most prolific pass catcher in program history. Over the course of three seasons, McMillan pulled in 213 catches for 3,423 yards and 26 touchdowns, marks that rank fourth, first, and third most in Arizona Football history, respectively. Following his record-setting junior season in 2024, he was tabbed as a consensus All-American, a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, a First Team All-Big 12 selection, and much more. His three years of dominance in an Arizona uniform earned him the eighth overall selection in the first round of the NFL Draft, making him the highest drafted offensive player in program history and the 12th Wildcat to be selected in the first round all time. Robbins, an exceptional defensive back for the Wildcats from 1980-83, enters the Arizona Football Ring of Honor in addition to his 1990 induction into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame. Following an impressive four-year career at Arizona in which he logged 12 interceptions and 28 pass breakups, Robbins went on to enjoy a nine-year NFL career with the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots. Robbins was a Pac-10 All-Conference Honorable Mention selection as a junior in 1982 and improved his stock to a First Team selection as a senior in 1983. While with the Broncos, Robbins played in three Super Bowls, tied for fourth most among former Wildcats.

FOUR VERTS: Arizona's wide receiver room may be the deepest on the offensive side of the ball, with numerous proven commodities scattered throughout the two deep. Highlighting the group are three transfers — Javin Whatley, Kris Hutson, and Luke Wysong — and one returner poised for a breakout campaign, Chris Hunter. Combined, the group has posted 442 receptions, 5,503 yards, and 28 touchdowns.

WILDCATS IN THE NFL: The Arizona Wildcats are once again well represented in the NFL, with 14 players currently sprinkled throughout league rosters. Highlighting the group of former Wildcats are a pair of first round picks in Tetairoa McMillan (2025) and Jordan Morgan (2024). With his selection earlier this year, McMillan became the 12th Arizona player to earn a first round NFL Draft pick. He joined a list that includes Morgan (2024; 25th, Green Bay), Antoine Cason (2008; 27th, San Diego), Trung Canidate (2000; 31st, St. Louis), Chris McAlister (1999; 10th, Baltimore), John Fina (1992; 27th, Buffalo), Chris Singleton (1990; 8th, New England), Anthony Smith (1990; 11th, Oakland), Rickey Hunley (1984; 7th, Cincinnati), Mike Dawson (1976; 22nd, Arizona), Bill Lueck (1968; 26, Green Bay), and Walt Nelson (1939; 10th, New York Giants). McMillan was the first of four Wildcats selecte in the 2025 NFL Draft, marking the most Arizona picks since 2008.

BEAR DOWN, ARIZONA: Arizona's fight song, "Bear Down, Arizona" will celebrate it's 73rd anniversary next month. The first-ever public performance of the song took place on Saturday, Sept. 20, 1952, during a noontime "A Day" pep rally in downtown Tucson, just before first-year students headed up "A" Mountain to whitewash the "A." Later that day, Arizona would go on to defeat Hawai'i, 57-7, to open the season 1-0. It became an instant tradition – likely by design of the song's composer, longtime University of Arizona band director Jack K. Lee. (Information provided by Jason Ground, University Communications).