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THURSDAY FOOTBALL
We'll be host to an ESPN broadcast -- and a companion ESPN 3-D broadcast (there's no better 3-D than seeing a game in person!) -- for our Pac-12 football game against UCLA tomorrow (Thursday). Having ESPN in town and showcasing The University of Arizona to a national audience is always a positive for our department and the city of Tucson. We need you to continue to show the seniors and the entire team your support. You make a difference, creating an incredible atmosphere and definite home-field advantage. The Wildcat Walk will be at 4:15pm... Please join us as we provide a positive image of our program to the country. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow night.
The event on a weekday presents some special challenges for both University employees and our fans. Kickoff is relatively early -- shortly after 6 p.m. UA President Eugene Sander and administrators have been cooperative in assisting us to pull this off without problems. All of our usual parking arrangements will be available, but fans are encouraged to consider arriving a bit early to avoid the out-bound campus traffic at rush hour whichmay impact access to various lots. Parking and Transportation will fully staff all lots and will accommodate all permit holders on a space available basis. For fans that park on public streets around the stadium perimeter, access to those parking areas in the neighborhoods begins after 2 p.m. We encourage you to use campus lots and garages and avoid neighborhood parking as weekday residential permits are strictly enforced until 2 p.m.The tailgate area will open at noon. We'd like to ask patrons to be considerate of the working campus community during the afternoon.
One thing about a 3-D broadcast you might like to know: ESPN will essentially bring two complete crews. So instead of around 75 crew members, there's another same-size group and double the cameras -- from both sides of the field, where possible. (The ZonaZoo and video board in three dimensions should be interesting...)
At halftime of the UCLA game we'll honor our 2011 NCAA national champions. Cited for their outstanding performances last year will be high jumper Brigetta Barrett and thrower Julie Labonte from track & field, and swimmer Cory Chitwood. Again, congratulations to these superior student-athletes...
HISPANIC HERITAGE DAY
As part of the University of Arizona's celebration of Hispanic Heritage month, the Athletics Department has partnered with KVOA-TV, AZ Lotus Corporation, Tucson Unified School District, and the UA Hispanic Alumni to promote the Hispanic culture and provide an opportunity for young people to come to the University of Arizona campus. At halftime, President Sander, honorary captains and Arizona letterwinners George Arias ('93 baseball) and Rudy Castro ('55 basketball and baseball) will join me in honoring this year's Hispanic Heritage art contest winners. In addition, the Pride of Arizona has been working with local Mariachi and Folklorico groups for a special halftime performance. For all the Hispanic Heritage Day festivities taking place that day and to view the winning artwork please click here.
DUPLICATE TICKETS
There have been reports back to our ticket office and event staff that tickets sold through scalpers and parties other than our ticket office have been invalid when presented at a gate for entry into a football game. Please be cautious if you purchase tickets from anyone other than our ticket office. Tickets that are not purchased from the ticket office cannot be replaced or reprinted. Even if the ticket you purchase looks authentic, it may have been reported lost and a duplicate ticket issued, meaning the bar code on the original ticket is inactive and is no longer valid. The only way we can assure you that you have a valid ticket is if you've purchased it directly from our ticket office or from our website, www.arizonawildcats.com.
As a reminder, we are scanning tickets upon entry into Arizona Stadium. We are improving the process and our staff is getting much more comfortable and efficient with scanning. However, it does take a few more seconds per fan, so, again, we encourage you to give yourself some extra time to enter by getting to the stadium early. We have tracked the timing of entries from the data provided by the scanners, and as you would expect our peak traffic happens in the 10-15 minute period right before kick-off. We encourage you to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to kick (gates open at 4:30 p.m.) to avoid the last-minute crunch at the gates.
RED-BLUE GAME SATURDAY
The first public glimpse of our men's basketball team will be the annual Red-Blue Game at 2 p.m. Saturday. We are very near a sell-out, which is outstanding. Thanks for joining us and if you haven't made plans, a limited number of tickets are still available... Both the men's and the women's basketball team will begin regular-season play within the next two weeks. The men face Seattle Pacific on the 27th and the women play Western State on November 2, both games are at McKale. Season tickets for both the men and women are available.
IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN
During the weekend of Nov. 5, the University of Arizona will be celebrating its annual Homecoming, with all the attendant special events that go with the reunion of former alumni. Among events is our Arizona Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday, Nov. 4, in McKale Center. It's a marvelous group of former Wildcats -- swimmer Simon Burnett, swimming coach Frank Busch, softball's Alicia Hollowell, the late women's basketball star Shawntinice Polk, volleyball's Kim Glass, runner Robert Cheseret, swimmer Marshi Smith, baseball fireman Trevor Hoffman and swimmer Lyndon Ferns. Their accomplishments span a period from 1987 to, in Frank's case, 2011 at the UA. They're among the best of the best and a great representative class for our Hall of Fame. I've been a part of this program for just a couple of years and really welcome the opportunity to expand my knowledge of Wildcat athletics and its best ambassadors. They'll be introduced at halftime of the Homecoming game against Utah on Nov. 5, as well. To buy tickets to the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony please click here.
QUITE A PRIZE
Let me step outside athletics for a moment and offer congratulations to and recognition for University of Arizona graduate Brian Schmidt, one of three recipients of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics. He's now an astronomy professor at Australian National University in Canberra. He's the first UA graduate to win the Prize and the institution's fifth Nobel laureate. I think you know a Nobel Prize is the top of the heap.
SCHEDULE NOTES
Thursday football - be there... Our swimming teams will play host to UNLV at 2 p.m. Friday at the Hillenbrand Aquatic Center... Volleyball will meet Stanford at 7 p.m. Friday and California at 7 p.m. Saturday in McKale Center... The men's tennis team competes in the ITA Mountain Regional in Las Vegas today through Saturday, while the women's tennis team is at the ITA Regional in San Diego Thursday through Sunday... Our soccer team will play at UCLA on Friday and at USC on Sunday... Women's golf will be at the Pac-12/SEC Challenge in Knoxville, Tenn., Friday through Sunday... Men's golf finished in sixth place at the Lone Star Invitational...Women's cross country finished third at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational last week, and is now ranked number five in the nation. This week's mascot match-is WILBUR vs. BOOMER SOONERfrom Oklahoma. Don't forget to cast your vote by texting Wilbur to 78527, or vote online by clicking here, or on Facebook and keep Wilbur in the hunt for grand prize that will go towards a scholarship endowment...
CAN-DO
Below, UA graduates (from left) Kevin Hall, Laura Vertes, Daniel Yu, Sam Credio and John Spiker with their "AZ Wildcans" arrangement of cans for an American Institute of Architects competition supporting the Food Bank. At bottom, twins Michael and Maximilian Lowery in some Wildcat gear outside McKale Center.
Continue to do what you can to help Arizona Athletics and:
- Join the Wildcat Movement
- Buy Season Tickets
- Wear the Colors (Especially on Friday)
- Get Others to Do the Same
Bear Down with Pride,
Greg Byrne
Director of Athletics
University of Arizona
uofaad@arizona.edu
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