WILDCATS SET FALL SCHEDULE
Cameron Blair and the Wildcats are set for a full semester of matches. (Photo credits: Josh Pearson)
Sept 19- Arizona has announced their Fall schedule for the 2024-2025 campaign, with their first hit out on Saturday against UTEP.
The Wildcats have continued their ramp-up to a full year of rugby, with over a dozen matches lined up to prepare for what they hope will be another run to the D1A postseason in April.
Season 56 will officially kick off with a three-period friendly against the Miners in El Paso before a trip to Albuquerque in October to take on New Mexico. The Fall will also feature a match up against Arizona State University, the first against the Sun Devils in Tucson in over five years. Arizona will also have challenging road matches against Colorado State and Mount Saint Mary's, with the latter taking place at the Fall Classic, a college rugby showcase event in Spartanburg, South Carolina for a domestic Tour of sorts to end the semester.
Arizona's schedule is another step towards yearlong rugby, with an emphasis on Fifteens and spreading minutes for a 75-man roster. "First off, we are thankful to our supporters for their patience on this schedule as we try to get as much rugby as we can while respecting our budget. Last year was a huge step in the right direction and we learned a lot. I'm thankful to our guys above everything because we put it to them- what do you want to do? They want to play a lot and that's great because so do the coaches. This year we're back with even more games and opportunities and we can't wait to get started" said Director of Rugby Sean Duffy.
The Wildcats, long a PAC-12 institution, have moved to the Big XII which also opens the door for new opponents. "We're not bound to play Big XII schools, but we'd like to while also maintaining series with teams like Cal and UCLA and our independent schedule for now. Our early conversations with the Big XII and those schools have been very exciting. We also have two openings on our schedule that two teams have vacated in the last week that we're close to getting filled. Stay tuned."
For the Wildcats full Fall schedule, click here.