Wildcat Wednesday - 2/15/12 - ARIZONAWILDCATS.COM - The University of Arizona Wildcats Official Athletic Site

Wildcat Wednesday - 2/15/12

Athletics Director Greg Byrne's weekly email discussing Wildcat Athletics

February 15, 2012

PAC-12 GROUNDBREAKING

Pac-12 Enterprises, the media company of the Pac-12 Conference, broke ground this week on the new Pac-12 Studios, its coming headquarters in downtown San Francisco. The project is to be completed this summer in the South of Market district and will be the new hub for Pac-12 Networks, Pac-12 Digital Network and Pac-12 Properties. It's to be a huge diversified center of activity for what shapes up as the most forward-looking sports, entertainment and technology-enriched conference in the nation. All conference members are looking forward to the launch of the national network, regional feeds and innovative tech distribution of Pac-12 content, and now the new home for all of this is officially under way.

HELLO Hi CORBETT

You've heard about it for months, and now the 2012 college baseball season is upon us. The Wildcats will open a new era at our Hi Corbett Field facility this weekend with a three-game series against the North Dakota State Bisons. Game times are 6 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and noon on Sunday. Please join us for this inaugural series in our new home. On Friday the first 4,000 fans will receive a special Opening Day commemorative ticket. Join us at 4 p.m. as the gates will open early for the pre-game season kick-off event inside of Hi Corbett hosted by 1290 The Source.  We are honored to have Coach Jerry Kindall and Hank Rowe, the grandson of Coach Frank Sancet, in attendance to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, and the night will end with a special post-game fireworks show. On Saturday, national champion, 1980 Golden Spikes Award winner, and two-time World Champion manager Terry Francona, along with other Wildcat MLB alumni, will be on hand to sign autographs from 3:15 to 3:45 p.m. before the second game of the series. Gates will open one hour before the first pitch (3 p.m.). More opening weekend information is available by clicking this link.  I think you'll be impressed by the renewed look to Hi Corbett, giving us the top college baseball facility in the nation. Check out ArizonaWildcats.com for information on season tickets, mini plans and single-game tickets, and click here for our promotional schedule.  Don't miss out on this special occasion!

HOME AT HILLENBRAND

Venerated Rita Hillenbrand Stadium will be site for 13 Arizona softball games this weekend. The Cats open their home season with games Friday (at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.) against Alabama-Birmingham and North Dakota, games Saturday (4 p.m. and 6 p.m.) against Western Kentucky and Southern Utah, and a finale on Sunday at 1 p.m. against SUU. There are eight other games (three Friday, three Saturday and two Sunday) preceding the UA contests and pitting those squads. Some of our staff call this kind of back-to-back-to-back action a variety of names, but it's clear that one can get a solid taste of intercollegiate softball right off the bat. Softball season ticket sales are once again strong. There are a limited amount of season tickets available for the 2012 season. Click here for more information on season tickets and single-game tickets.

RENEWING FOOTBALL SEASON TICKETS EARLY

We are very pleased with the response to our paperless renewal initiative. It's great to see your positive and supportive reaction. Football season ticket renewals are ahead of pace from this time last year, and they are all online. It's great to see a lot of our fans take advantage of some of our early online renewal incentives designed to reward those who get their season ticket and/or Wildcat Club gift renewals returned way ahead of the deadline. There is still plenty of time to receive these benefits (service fee waived, $10 store credit to BearDownShop.com, and entry into our 30 prizes in 30 days drawings). Get those renewals in by February 29.

WAG YOUR TAIL AT MCKALE

Women's basketball will host home games on Thursday vs. Washington State at 7 p.m. and on Sunday vs. Washington at 3 p.m. on FSN. Sunday's game will host Wag Your Tail at McKale, an event where fans are welcome to bring their dogs to the game, featuring doggie treats and dog-themed promotions. The Humane Society will be on site with pets for adoption and information on pet safety. There will be treats and water throughout McKale for dogs along with sanitation stations for pet owners. Owners can enter their dogs into the Most Spirited costume contest and participate in the halftime dog parade. There will also be dog-free areas of seating.

Post-game Sunday will feature a team autograph session and fans are welcome to bring their own items to be signed. For questions, please contact the athletic marketing office at 520-626-3077. Tickets can be purchased online at ArizonaWildcats.com.

RED ALERT - WEAR RED FEBRUARY 25

Saturday, February 25 is the last home game of the 2011-12 men's basketball season vs. UCLA. Senior day is always an emotional and special day for Arizona basketball. We're looking to make it even more memorable with the call for a RED OUT in conjunction with the introduction of the Nike Hyper Elite Platinum ZONA uniform. As a reminder, these special edition uniforms were created by Nike for only nine schools and they will only be worn once this season. From what Coach Miller tells me, our players and recruits love them. Most of you wear red on game days, but we want to see the entire place in red and show off the unity our fans have. The game will be televised nationally on CBS. A very limited number of tickets remain, so don't hesitate to get your tickets now if you haven't already done so. Wear red and help create an unforgettable day for our senior class.

RECORDS CONTINUE TO FALL

Our track and field teams had another outstanding weekend of competition with a collegiate and two American records falling at the hands of Wildcats. At the Millrose Games on Saturday, volunteer assistant coach Bernard Lagat set the American record in the 5,000 meters (13:07.15) and sophomore Lawi Lalang set the 5K collegiate and UA school record (13:08.28). Senior Stephen Sambu came in third and clocked the No. 2 collegiate time ever (13:13.74). At the USA Track and Field Classic, volunteer assistant coach Jill Camarena-Williams set the American record in the shot put, throwing 65-3.25. Since the start of the 2012 season, Arizona track and field has broken two American records, one collegiate record and five school records while qualifying six individuals to the NCAA Indoor Championships.

WEARING THE COLORS

Gene Zilliox of Scottsdale wrote to tell me about an experience he had while hiking earlier this week.  Wearing his U of A ballcap, he came upon a couple of young (25ish) guys walking their dog... as they were passing they hit him with a "Bear Down!" to which he instinctively replied "Go 'Cats."  Gene said nobody missed a step... Keep it going and don't be shy to share a "Bear Down" when you can.

ARIZONA BASKETBALL ROAD TRIP TO TEMPE

Plan ahead to join us in a few weeks when we head up the interstate for our men's basketball game in Tempe on March 4. I encourage you to attend to support the team and turn Wells Fargo Center red and blue. We've partnered with Bon Voyage Travel to put together a travel package for a round trip motor coach ride to Tempe, including a box lunch and refreshments. For more information, including price, and/or to make reservations please contact Katie Clark at 520-797-CATS (2287) or kclark@bvtravel.com.

SCHEDULE NOTES...

The men's basketball team will play at Washington State in Pullman on Thursday and at Washington in Seattle on Saturday... Men's tennis will play San Diego at 11 a.m. Friday at Robson Center on campus, with another match at 11 a.m. Sunday against Denver, while the women's team will play North Texas at Robson at 2:30 p.m. Friday and Cal Poly at noon on Saturday.... The gymnastics team will be host to Brigham Young for a meet at 7 p.m. Friday in McKale Center... Our men's golf team will be in Honolulu today through Friday for the John Burns Intercollegiate tournament... Our women's golf team will play at the UNLV Invitational on Monday and Tuesday.

COLORS IN FAR-FLUNG PLACES

Below, former Associated Students President ('96) Ben Driggs and his son, Douglas, take the colors to World Heritage Site Hoi An, a river city in Vietnam. At bottom, a Wildcat from the class of '82, Brett Daley, shows off a 15-year-old T-shirt in Moscow's Red Square. (Either that, or else it's a 15-year-old photo...).