REMEMBERING GAYLE ‘DOC HOP’ HOPKINS
It’s unfortunate that for the second week in a row, we are sharing bad news to lead off Wildcat Wednesday. Earlier this week, we learned of Gayle Hopkins’ passing. Gayle was our first individual NCAA Champion, winning the long jump in 1964. He went on to compete in the Tokyo Olympics later that year.
Gayle worked in the athletics department for 27 years until he retired in 2010. During his time at UA, he worked on projects that included academic services, development, and letterwinner and alumni relations. Gayle was inducted as a charter member of the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 1976.
Just like with Tom Sanders last week, all you needed to do to understand Gayle’s impact was scroll through social media. He clearly touched a number of lives through his work both on campus and in the community. Gayle was, and always will be, a wonderful representative of Arizona Athletics and he will be sorely missed. Our condolences go out to his friends and family.
A viewing (10 a.m.) and service (11 a.m.) will be held on Monday, March 28 at Bring’s Funeral Home (6910 E. Broadway, Tucson, AZ 85710). A plan for a memorial service in McKale will be shared at a later date after discussions with Gayle’s family.
Bear Down, Gayle.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACHING SEARCH HEATING UP
Despite a hectic couple of weeks, the search for our next head women’s basketball coach has been at the top of my priority list and I’m excited to let you know the process should be coming to a close within the next few weeks. We’ve been really pleased with the level of interest and we did want to be respectful of those coaches still competing. But, we’re getting to the point where we’re narrowing in on our choice and we hope to make an announcement soon.
NEW VIDEOBOARD AT HI CORBETT FIELD
Our baseball program will have a new toy out at Hi Corbett Field tomorrow when we debut a new Daktronics 15HD videoboard against UCLA. The new videoboard, which was installed over the last 10 days, will span 44 by 25 feet. It is nearly five times the surface area of the old board, which was 20 by 11.
The old board used a fixed digit scoreboard, while the new state-of-the-art one will use a virtual scoreboard. We will have the ability to use it like a giant canvas and put whatever information and numbers we choose. It also has the ability to go to a “super screen” for important video moments, such as the introduction video and home runs.
We’ve gotten off to a good start under Coach Johnson and we’re currently 13-6 on the season and 8-1 at Hi Corbett. The team will host UCLA for a three-game series with Thursday and Friday’s games starting at 6 p.m., and Saturday’s finale set for 1 p.m. For Friday’s game, we are hosting a Super Hero Night. The first 500 fans will have their option to choose a BatCat Mask or a SuperCat Cape. The Cats will wrap up their series with the Bruins on Saturday and the first 500 fans will receive an Easter Egg with a prize inside at the entrance. To purchase tickets or for more information, click HERE.
C.A.T.S. ACADEMIC CENTER COMING ALONG
If you’ve been on campus recently, you’ve likely noticed the third base stands of Kindall/Sancet Field are now gone and we’re making nice progress on the construction of the C.A.T.S. Academic Center. We’ve completed the demolition and are now packing the soil in preparation for the foundation pour. Next up, we’ll start with block and concrete in April and work to have the structure fully enclosed by the end of July. Work will continue throughout the summer and fall with an expected move-in date in late October.
We’re really excited about having a building of this nature where our student-athletes can focus on their academics. ‘Graduate Student-Athletes’ is our first goal and principle and this building will certainly help in that endeavor.
If you’d like to learn more about how you can support the C.A.T.S. Academic Center project, please visit our info page by clicking HERE.
If you’d like to watch the groundbreaking ceremony for the C.A.T.S. Academic Center, click HERE, and to look at the photo gallery from the groundbreaking, click HERE.
LAST WEEK FOR 30 PRIZES IN 30 DAYS
We’re down to the final week of our 30 Prizes in 30 Days Renewal Contest. We’ve given away some great prizes to 23 lucky fans so far. You can see a list of the winners and the prizes won by clicking HERE and scrolling down to the calendar.
Some of the notable prizes left to give away include a one-hour appearance by Wilbur or Wilma at your party/event, a foursome at Sewailo, sideline passes for pregame of a 2016 home game and a VIP ticket package for the 2016 Fiesta Bowl.
The football season ticket and Wildcat Club donation (including men’s basketball priority seating) renewal deadline is May 1. That will be here before you know it. Please get your renewals in today so you have a chance to win a prize. If you’re interested in a payment plan, we still have a two-part plan available. Click HERE to renew. Thanks for your support.
SOFTBALL AT HOME THIS WEEK AFTER BIG SERIES WIN VS. ASU
After a big series win over our rivals to the north, the softball team is ready to open Pac-12 play at home. The Wildcats will host the Utah Utes in a three-game series beginning this Thursday, March 24 at 7 p.m. Since it’s Thursday, we are doing a little #TBT (Throwback Thursday for those that don’t dabble in hashtags) on Twitter with fans, so be sure to follow @UA_Softball for your chance to win some fun prizes from Arizona softball. Arrive early to the game as well to receive your #TBT foam visor.
The two teams will play on Friday, March 25 at 7 p.m. and will wrap up the series on Saturday, March 26 at 12:30 p.m. Don’t miss out on the games this weekend, and be sure to purchase your tickets in advance for only $8. Click HERE to purchase if you’d like to buy now.
SAND VOLLEYBALL BACK IN ACTION
The sand volleyball team is off to a great start. They are currently ranked seventh in the nation and will be home this weekend for three home matches. The Wildcats will play a doubleheader on Friday vs. CSU Bakersfield at 2 p.m. and New Mexico at 3:30 p.m. On Saturday, we’ll play Cal State Northridge at noon. All matches are played at the Arizona sand volleyball courts, which are located just southeast of the McKale Center. Admission is free. Bring your lawn chair and enjoy the matches!
SHORTENING THINGS UP
If you’ve been following Wildcat Wednesday for the past few years, you know the bottom portion of the email included Cats in the Community, a Twitter giveaway, Compliance Corner and Arizona Nuggets. Based on some feedback we received, we thought shortening the weekly message might be something worth looking at.
So, instead of including all of those elements each week, we’ll rotate through them over the course of a month by including one per week. Also, instead of listing the entire upcoming week’s schedule, we’ll provide a link to our complete schedule in case you are looking for upcoming events, broadcast info, start times and stat links. That information is and will always be most up-to-date on our website at arizonawildcats.com.
As always, thanks for reading and feel free to send us any feedback you might have.
COMPLIANCE CORNER
As a member of the NCAA, the University of Arizona is responsible for the actions of our donors and other representatives of our athletics interests. In the event of a violation involving a representative of our athletics interests, there can be significant consequences for that individual or entity. If a representative of our athletics interests is found to be involved in a violation that results in sanctions being imposed on the University of Arizona, that representative of our athletics interests may be subject to the revocation of ticket privileges, disassociation from the athletics department (i.e., loss of donor privileges), and/or the loss of any other athletically related benefit or privilege deemed appropriate by the University of Arizona.
Please remember that violations involving a prospect or an enrolled student-athlete may jeopardize that individual’s eligibility for competition at the University of Arizona, so if you are in doubt as to whether an action is deemed permissible under NCAA rules, please contact the Compliance Office at (520) 621-4796.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
To review 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 purchase tickets for home events, click HERE.
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 “Wildcat Wednesday” album at facebook.com/ArizonaAthletics.
NOTE: Please submit photos for Wildcat Wednesday with an original email touofaad@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.
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