Meet colleagues who made the Holiday Bowl happen

Party planning makes perfect

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Otero, assistant director of alumni engagement events at the University of Arizona Foundation, played a central role in organizing many of the fan-focused events during bowl week including the pregame tailgate outside Snapdragon Stadium, the four-stop pub crawl in San Diego's Gaslamp District and a New Year's Day bowl game brunch. She also helped develop the Foundation's Holiday Bowl webpage with links to tickets and Campus Store merchandise, plus information on game-related events, and recommendations on local amenities, attractions, and activities.

"A lot of our decisions were dictated by geography, where was the team staying in relation to the stadium and where fans would want to go," she said. "There were a lot of moving pieces, but also a lot of people wanting to help, especially the BeachCats, the San Diego alumni group. They provided us with a lot of local perspective and invaluable insights."

After putting the Foundation's plan in motion Otero traveled to San Diego for game week to help firm up the details and tie off loose ends with local contacts. She also managed check-in tables, handed out promotional items and answered questions at the pub crawl and tailgate. While it was her first bowl game, it wasn't her first rodeo.

"I've done events for many, many years, so I don't really stress or get worried," she said. "There's no value in that. You can plan and research as much as you can, but once you're in the middle of an event, you just problem-solve your way through it."

Patience pays off with the Pride

Clifton Weston joined the professional staff of the Pride of Arizona, the U of A marching band, back in 2017 to help lighten the administrative load for director of athletic bands Chad Shoopman. He has grown into an indispensable part of the program since then, even becoming the "Voice of the Pride," announcing for the band at games and other events. He also helps lead a cadre of professional staff, many of them former Pride members, who help keep band members on track, on task and on time.

Weston worked with the Athletic Bands program administrator Courtney Dodge to handle most of the logistics ahead of bowl week, which for the Pride included marching in the Holiday Bowl parade, and a "battle of the bands" at SeaWorld San Diego with their counterparts from SMU's Mustang Band.

"It's a huge undertaking, even going somewhere close like San Diego. You're talking about finding a hotel, arranging buses, or flights for students who aren't in Tucson. Then there's loading the equipment truck; making sure the students have the itinerary, that you've distributed their per diem money. Making sure everyone shows up, making sure people receive and react to the different messages on our communication platform. We were a little lucky that we went to the Holiday Bowl, one of the last games of the season, which gave us more time to prepare."

Once in San Diego, Weston focused on keeping his musicians focused, and snuffing out sparks before they become fires.

"It's a business trip. There will be some downtime for sure, but it's making sure all the pieces fit together so that the kids have a successful time, and the fans and the team know they have our support," Weston said. "The biggest thing that I take away from my role in the Pride is it's all about the student's experience. It's not about my experience at the end of the day."

A positively unexpected experience

Tony Daniel, senior associate athletic director for revenue generation and engagement, wears many hats, including administrator for the football program. In that capacity he oversaw the travel logistics for head coach Brent Brenna, team staff members and their guests in San Diego, a travel party of about 60. Working with assistant athletic director for football operations Lauren Vossler, who handled trip planning for the football team's players and coaches, Daniels arranged a week's accommodations, transportation and activities for the group. Daniels praised Sports San Diego, the non-profit organization which organizes the Holiday Bowl, for making the process easier and arranging events like a team visit to SeaWorld San Diego and a tour of the USS Makin Island, a Navy amphibious assault ship.

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"You have small things, minor obstacles, come up any time you're moving a couple hundred people around, but things went really smoothly overall," he said. "The Holiday Bowl folks have been doing this for a while, and they were helpful in all aspects. San Diego's obviously a great place for our fans and Snapdragon Stadium provides first-class production values. It's a great example of what a college sports experience can be like."

One experience that left Daniel feeling positive about the future of Arizona Football was the "unexpected" game day turnout by Wildcats fans at the team hotel. Hundreds of people clad in Arizona red and blue lined the walls of the lobby and long foyer of the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina to cheer the players as they made their way to the buses bound for Snapdragon Stadium. 

"It felt really big time," Daniel said. "That's one of the best moments since I arrived at the U of A. I remember thinking: 'Wow, this is real. This is awesome. Our fans are here to support us and the love that they're showing is incredible.' That’s the message that we want our fans and supporters, and also our staff to receive, that it can happen with support. It can happen with the help and energy that this community can bring. Our guys love it, and our coaches love it."

With two major bowls in the last three years behind them, University of Arizona football appears poised to set a new standard for success for itself and, ultimately, a spot in the College Football Playoff or, at minimum, another prestigious post-season appearance such as a future Trust and Will Holiday Bowl. Either outcome will require planning, patience and positivity.