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Our players make that same choice today.

They choose Arizona knowing it will shape the rest of their lives. They study. They lift. They practice. They lead. They compete to win championships. They push the redline on the field, in the classroom and in their lives. A 100% effort, 100% of the time.

In today’s landscape of NIL and the chaotic changes in college athletics, people are focused on ticket sales and revenue, which is important. Still, there is something deeper: the human element.

A packed stadium does more than make noise. Feet hammer the stands. The roar rises. That sound hits a player like we, as defenses, really can’t hit anymore in the open field. It raises a player’s blood pressure, quickens their breath and sharpens their focus. It pushes him a little harder to fight for the ball, the yard, the catch, the stop, the hit. It gives the extra ounce when legs get heavy. It fuels the edge on third down. It is the intangible energy and value that every single person in our stadium uniquely brings to our team. Your team.

I have lived football at every level. From playing in Arizona Stadium to Lambeau Field. From sleeping in my office as I climbed the NFL coaching ranks, to coordinating the defense for the Tennessee Titans. I learned the same lesson time and again in each place. Football programs become stronger when communities show up. People from all walks of life. Different ages. Different backgrounds. Different beliefs and parties. One voice. One team. Everyone pulling the rope the same way.

Football unites us. In Tucson, the Wildcats define us. Win or lose, we Bear Down and Show Up. That is who we are.

Right now, we need more of that collective energy. Our seats need you in them. Our administration and coaches are laying their foot on the gas to make it an incredible game-day experience for our community, so please come early. Wear your red and blue. Stand on third down. Bring a neighbor or a friend who has never been there before. Invite a new family in town. Make Saturday football games a part of your Tucson habit. When our stadium is full, recruits feel it. Opponents feel it. And most importantly, our players feel it.

Can it be hot? Sure, although not so much anymore. Do some games start late? Sure. But we are not a community built on comfort. We are a community built on grit, passion and unity. For more than a century, Arizona has earned the name “Wildcats” for our determination and fight.

If you are cheering at home or from afar, we value you, but we still need you in the seats. We need that fan brigade at every game, from behind the bench to the end zone and up to the Sky Club. Let the country see what this place is about.

Please take this as an open invitation, from your Cecil neighbors, to join us. Come home to Arizona Stadium.

To our loyal diehards and the Zona Zoo, thank you. You set the tone. You never quit. Your energy moves the chains. Keep bringing that redline swagger. Thank you.

I am grateful to this university and this city. They gave me purpose. They introduced me to my wife, Carrie, and the life we built. I came here to play football. I found a community that has lasted a lifetime. Now it is our turn to lift the next generation.

Let’s rally our Wildcats. Bring your belief and toughness. Bring your voice and your Old Pueblo pride. It’s game time, and you are the Bear Down Brigade — time to Bear Down and show up.

See you on Saturday,

Chuck Cecil

#BearDownShowUp