Arizona Wildcats fans gather in Tucson for Family Weekend
Alumni, families and Wildcat fans gathered at Casino Del Sol Stadium in Tucson for UA Family Weekend, sharing why the tradition means as much to them as the Wildcats’ 34-7 win over Cincinnati.
For some University of Arizona fans, Family Weekend is about watching the Wildcats play football, but for others it’s about coming back to campus, seeing old friends, spending time with family and continuing traditions that have lasted for decades.
Families, alumni and Wildcat fans gathered at Casino Del Sol Stadium Oct. 3 for UA Family Weekend, with many celebrating before the start of the Wildcats’ game against Cincinnati.
The game also marked UA’s annual Pacific Islander Heritage game, giving fans another reason to come together.
For Adrienne Mackey, who graduated from the UA in 2002, Family Weekend was a chance to return to a place she still considers home.
Mackey told Tucson Spotlight she wanted to be on campus for the weekend.
“I wanted to visit with all the new people that go to the U of A and also congratulate the students and watch the big game,” Mackey said.
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It didn’t take long for Mackey to start running into familiar faces, including old friends from her days at the UA and fellow Wildcat alums.
“It means the world. Today I ran into so many old friends, so many alumni, so many huge Wildcat fans,” Mackey said.
For Mackey, the years between her graduation and her return to campus haven’t changed the feeling of being part of the Arizona community.
“It’s all a big family. It doesn’t matter if you graduated in 2002 when I did or you graduated in 2022,” Mackey said.
That feeling isn’t limited to alumni.
While she didn’t attend the UA, Marnia Ruiz has been supporting the UA for at least 20 years. For her family, attending games has become a tradition that includes multiple generations.
“We live in Arizona so we come every year,” Ruiz said. “My kids went to U of A and we just love spending time together out here.”
For Ruiz, the football game was only part of what made the weekend meaningful. Her favorite part was spending time with her family.
Ruiz said supporting Arizona athletics has become something she and her family look forward to year after year.
“It’s everything we live to come to Arizona games and support them,” Ruiz said. “We just have a lot of pride so it’s a good time. It’s like a tradition for us.”
Lauren Flores attended the celebration for similar reasons, accompanying her mother. But Flores said one thing stood out to her.
“The community showing up for the Wildcats,” Flores said.
Flores said being surrounded by family and friends is something she values beyond the game or the price of a ticket.
“It’s priceless,” Flores said. “It’s my most favorite thing in my life.”
All three fans shared one other trait: They wanted to see Arizona win.
Ruiz wasn’t shy about her expectations.
“We want the win. We like to win. We’re competitive,” Ruiz said.
Flores was just as confident in the hours before the game, saying she was sure of one thing.
“The Wildcats getting the ‘W,’” Flores said.
Mackey was looking forward to the same result but also to another part of the game-day experience.
“The camaraderie,” Mackey said.
On the field, Arizona entered Saturday’s game against Cincinnati with a 3-1 record, while the Bearcats arrived undefeated at 4-0. It was Cincinnati’s first trip to Tucson, and the matchup came less than a year after Arizona defeated the Bearcats 30-24 in Cincinnati.
In the end, the Wildcats beat Cincinnati 34-7, giving fans the win they had predicted.
But before the lights came on and the game began, Family Weekend had already given many attendees a reason to celebrate.
It gave Mackey a reason to return to campus more than two decades after graduation. For Ruiz, it meant continuing a family tradition with her children and grandchildren. And Flores was surrounded by family and a community supporting the Wildcats.
Different reasons brought them to campus, but the feeling was similar: They came back because they are part of the Wildcat family.
And for a weekend built around bringing families together, that might be the most important part of the tradition.
Kyleigh Pandhi is a University of Arizona alum and freelance journalist based in Tucson. Contact her at kyleighpandhi@gmail.com.
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