From Tucson to San Diego: How Wildcat fans are celebrating the Holiday Bowl
The 2025 Arizona football team celebrated becoming bowl eligible after their 24–20 victory over Kansas on Saturday, Nov. 8. They will play in the program’s 23rd all-time bowl game on Jan. 2.
As the Wildcats prepare for their gridiron showdown with Southern Methodist University in the 46th annual Holiday Bowl on Friday, Jan. 2, fans anticipate the events that come with making it to a bowl game, especially one with the history of the Holiday Bowl.
Fan passion
With San Diego's proximity to Tucson, Tony Daniel, senior associate athletic director for revenue generation and engagement, is expecting to see a large turnout from Wildcat fans.
"We want San Diego to feel flooded, surrounded and just engulfed in Wildcat pride," he said. "We want it to be Tucson West, not only for our team, but our fans as well."
Arizona sold out its allotment of tickets provided by the Holiday Bowl in under 24 hours, but tickets for the game are still available through Ticketmaster.
Courtney Spector
The journey
To add to fan excitement – and get them to San Diego – the university is tapping into some of its local corporate partners to help fill the trip with Wildcat pride.
Courtney Spector, director of strategic partnerships for the university, said the Tucson Airport Authority and the university have been working together to make the traveling experience just as special.
"Through our thriving partnership with the Tucson Airport Authority, we have been able to act quickly and put a plan in place that will add to the fan excitement and buzz around our football program and its Holiday Bowl game," Spector said.
As a part of the festivities for those flying out of TUS, fans can hear audio messages from head coach Brent Brennan playing throughout the airport, as well as digital board graphics congratulating the football program on a great season.
A flight from Tucson to San Diego on Jan. 1 at 9 a.m. has already sold out – an unusual occurrence for a flight weeks before takeoff. Spector says the flight will be filled with Arizona pride. Passengers can expect to see Wildcat flair throughout the airport and on their flight.
Seats are still available on select Tucson to San Diego flights for fans interested in attending the game.
The Campus Store will host a pop-up shop at the airport from Dec. 31 to Jan. 2 near the American Airlines ticketing counter with Holiday Bowl merchandise and Arizona apparel for fans to gear up before the big game.
Desireé Reed-Francois
Fan events
Arizona Athletics and campus partners are finalizing fan engagement events for everyone, whether they are heading to San Diego or cheering on the Wildcats from home.
For Desireé Reed-Francois, vice president and director of athletics, these coordinated efforts behind the scenes show the passion from not only the fans, but the staff on campus.
"It is always so inspiring to see people from all parts of campus working together for the benefit of the entire university," she said. "The 'One Arizona' mindset that we have in Athletics is a reminder that we are all on the same team working towards the same goals, and these events surrounding the Holiday Bowl exemplify that commitment."
Ahead of the game, the bowl will host a Band Bash event at SeaWorld, a pregame 5K and its famous gameday parade. Alumni Engagement and Athletics will host a Wildcat Walking pub crawl and pregame tailgate.
Events like the pub crawl are designed to help Arizona fans make San Diego feel like "Tucson West," said Megan O'Leary, assistant athletic director for donor services and special events.
"All fans will be able to meet up and explore San Diego together and watch all of the football on that day," she said. "It will be a fun, easy way for Wildcats to connect with each other and to explore parts of San Diego that maybe they haven't experienced before."
For fans watching in Tucson or anywhere else, keep an eye on the Alumni Engagement bowl game website for information on watch parties.
Fans should continue to check Athletics' Holiday Bowl Central page for more information as new events and details become available.
Legendary head coach Dick Tomey and the Arizona Wildcats celebrate their win over Nebraska in the 1998 Holiday Bowl, which was the program's first appearance in the game.
History and legacy
This season marks the third time Arizona has played in the Holiday Bowl, where they are 1-1 with previous appearances in 1998 and 2009, both against the University of Nebraska. This year's bowl game is the 23rd in the program's history.
Whether it's sold-out flights, new fan events or support from campus partners for fans at the game and across the country, the Wildcats are poised to turn San Diego into Wildcat Country. Regardless of how the game unfolds, the events and experiences will provide fans with memories that will last into next season and beyond, hopefully when Arizona football is preparing for its next bowl game.