Sept. 8, 2010
IT'S TIME TO SET THE STANDARD
Our football team did a superb job in its season opener on the road at Toledo, but now it's finally time for us to show the community, Pac-10 and the nation what a football game in Arizona Stadium is all about. I've heard about the deep support many give our team, heard about the ZonaZoo, heard about the heat factor, stadium amenities in need of improvement, and on and on. To take this thing to the next level and beyond, Arizona Football needs YOU. We need you for the Wildcat Walk, we need you wearing the colors and we need you in the stands. If we can dial it up we can turn our place into even more of a home-field advantage for our Wildcats. Like it says, GAME ON!
HITTING THE RANKINGS
After our impressive performance against Toledo, we have cracked into the USA Today's rankings at #23. We're also receiving votes in the AP poll. Let's hope we can continue to climb the rankings...
CONFERENCE CONFERENCES
We've been spending some time meeting with counterparts at league schools and in various committees of the Pac-10 Conference. One recent meeting was the Revenue Sharing Committee on which I have a seat. Without going into much detail on factors that impact such financial underpinnings (re-alignment, scheduling, television, to name a few), I can tell you that I have been impressed with the sense of camaraderie from our peer institutions and know that we will find a balance that will strengthen our brand as a conference.
COMPLYING IS A PLAN, NOT A REACTION
Our Associate Athletics Director of Compliance Bill Morgan took the trip on our football charter last week, will do so all year, and also will be making some men's basketball trips this year as a means of helping us meet all obligations and guidelines in specific areas, including dealing with agents among other potential conflicts. Draft-eligible student-athletes can be put into some precarious situations and we felt it was important to include some oversight at times when susceptibility is an issue. You'll see other proactive steps we take in the near and distant future to ensure the health of our programs in terms of the rules.
TAKING THE BANNER TO A GLOBAL AUDIENCE
More friends and supporters have noted the strength of the UA colors in locations far and wide. Amber Soergel wrote that an Iraqi language instructor with whom she works in Tempe suspiciously sported a block "A" hat on the campus up north, not understanding the perplexed looks it generated. It was a hat he had purchased in Baghdad. Wow... John Anderson wrote that on Maui a short while ago his UA gear drew "Bear Down" and "Go Cats!" all over the island...
NOTES...
...We recently made (let me say it: legendary UA athletics administrator) Rocky LaRose our new Deputy Athletics Director. We need steady direction in the department for all day-to-day matters and Rocky's a valuable resource in the leadership team... Possibly you saw Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott on TV the other night, sitting with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones during the Oregon State-TCU game in Cowboys Stadium. They looked like they were talking business, not football -- or maybe the business of football and expanding the Pac-10 reach... We recently mentioned the NPF softball game on campus -- it will be on Oct. 4, not as previously noted...Finally, make sure you say hello when our paths cross this weekend at Arizona Stadium.
Greg Byrne
Director of Athletics
University of Arizona
uofaad@arizona.edu
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