Arizona men’s basketball is, and has been for a while, one of the premier programs in the sport. Ever since Lute Olson got things rolling the Wildcats have been a staple at the top of the conference standings, regulars on national TV and a constant participant in the NCAA tournament.
This year is no exception; in fact, Tommy Lloyd’s team is among the very best in the nation and has a real chance to win a national championship. And if not this year, then next year. Or the one after that.
Arizona basketball
is a perennial power, a brand that appears to have staying power.
The same cannot be said for Arizona football. Not now, and in all likelihood not in the near or even distant future.
But that doesn’t mean the powers that be shouldn’t try.
It was not that long ago where the Cats won 10 games and appeared to be on the cusp of turning the corner with a high-profile head coach and some real momentum. Unfortunately, Jedd Fisch left and we all know what happened the following season.
Of course, the one after that—the season that just finished—put Arizona back on the map and should have us all feeling pretty good about where the program is. Instead of retreating to the back of the Big 12, Brent Brennan guided his team, with a revamped roster and coaching staff, to nine wins and a berth in the Holiday Bowl.
The pinnacle of the sport it was not, but it wasn’t bad, either.
The question of course is if Arizona should settle for where it is, happy with being competent but not really a contender. The program should not, as the goal should be to be the best. Always.
Along those lines it has been nice to see the administration not only lock up Brennan, but pay up to keep coordinators Danny Gonzales and Seth Doege, too. The latter two are getting hefty raises, which come as part of an increased money pool for all of Brennan’s assistants.
This, combined with a solid-but-not-spectacular NIL situation should allow Arizona to compete if not for championships, then at least for solid bowl game appearances.
Good enough for the coaches? No.
Good enough for fans? It should be.
The truth is, while it was nice to see a formerly downtrodden program like Indiana reach the pinnacle of college football, ascensions like theirs are not the norm. Short of Arizona finding a Mark Cuban-like benefactor (we’re looking at you, Arte Moreno, if you want to care about someone winning) it will be nearly impossible, as any time the Cats get coaches or players who are good enough to reach that level, some school with more money and prestige will snatch them right outta Tucson.
This does not have to happen. In recent years we’ve been lucky to have stars like Tetaiora McMillan, Noah Fifita, Genesis Smith, Dalton Johnson and Treydan Stukes play their entire careers in the Red and Blue, even while all surely could have made more money elsewhere.
And it’s also true that while Arizona may not be the richest program in the country, it is hardly among the poorest. Bidding wars will not be won by the Wildcats but there is money enough to attract talent, and with good scouting we’ve seen there’s certainly enough to help rebuild a quality roster.
But as we look forward to the 2026 season getting underway with spring ball in a few weeks we should be mindful of the fact that just eight times in school history has the team won nine or more games. That 25 percent of the team’s seasons of nine or more wins have come in the last three years provides optimism that Arizona can, in fact, be good, but it will have to buck history and today’s college football landscape if it is to become truly elite.
Nothing says it can’t happen.
In the meantime it is comforting to see Arizona investing in football the way it has. Aside from what has been done to retain coaches and attract talent, it was recently announced that Casino Del Sol Stadium (that was strange to write) will be upgraded, with updates to the sound system, video boards and sidelines. Give the fans what they want, and hopefully more will show up for games.
Many fans, especially last year, took a bit of a wait-and-see approach to the program. Scarred by the previous season’s disaster, they took a long time to buy in and appreciate what the team was doing. Understandable but unfortunate, it surely led to some missing out on the enjoyment that the surprising season brought about.
Hopefully it was just a step in a path that will lead to seasons of that caliber being the norm rather than the exception. Arizona basketball had to start somewhere, and it’s possible, even if unlikely, that football will one day reach a similar level.
If it doesn’t happen, especially this next season, that’s ok. As long as there is no real backslide we should feel good about where football is, and with the commitment being made to the sport we can be optimistic about where it is going.
