Arizona gets game-day glow-up with lights, sound and sideline change

Tucson football fans heading to Casino Del Sol Stadium this fall will find more than a new name above the south video board. The University of Arizona is remaking the game day atmosphere with upgraded lighting, a new sound system, additional premium seating, fresh concessions and a major sideline switch designed to put visiting teams directly in front of the Zona Zoo. The changes are intended to make attending a Wildcats game feel more energetic for students, families and other fans in the stands.

The most visible upgrades will come after Arizona scores. The new lighting system can produce multicolor displays and pyrotechnic-style light shows for touchdowns and other celebrations. Head coach Brent Brennan said the lights are the improvement he is most excited to see, based on his experiences at other stadiums. He said the effect creates a memorable moment for both players and fans, even though coaches are generally focused so intensely on the game that they may not notice everything happening around them.

The stadium’s sound has also been replaced. The new system was used during training camp, and Brennan said it is less dominated by bass than the previous setup. Music lyrics should be easier for fans to understand as well. Arizona athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois said the department surveyed fans at the end of last season, and sound ranked among their most requested improvements. The new lights, new sound and other additions are part of the athletic department’s annual effort to improve the in person experience.

Food is getting an overhaul too. New offerings include Cattails, which are deep fried pretzels covered in cinnamon sugar and served with a cream cheese icing dip. The Zookeeper combines a hamburger patty, chicken patty, egg, Spam, peanut butter and jelly, American cheese, pepperjack cheese and mozzarella. Fans can also order the Southwest Big 12 Dog, a footlong hot dog topped with Hatch chili pulled pork, queso, corn and pico de gallo. Deep fried macaroni and cheese bites round out the announced additions.

A new premium area called Cats Corner will open on the northeast side of the stadium, in the space between the Zona Zoo and the Sands Club in the Lowell Stevens Football Facility. The area runs from the 10 yard line to the rear of the end zone and will include 56 tables with swivel chairs, divided between two person and four person tables, along with 38 drink rail seats. A game day buffet and access to the Cats Corner Lounge beneath Section 1 are included with each option.

The seating will cost $600 per game for a two person table and $1,200 for a four person table. Drink rail seats will cost $250 per game. Cats Corner replaces the section previously used by players’ families, although Arizona will continue to offer on field cabanas in that area. Because the Wildcats are changing sidelines this season, players’ families will move to the west side of the stadium.

That switch is one of the most consequential changes for the crowd. For the first time in more than 50 years, the visiting team will occupy the sideline in front of the Zona Zoo. The idea grew out of Arizona’s road loss at Kansas State in 2024, when Reed Francois and Brennan discussed the energy created by having students near the opposing bench. Under the former Pac 12 arrangement, the student section could not be located alongside the visiting team, but Big 12 rules do not impose that restriction.

Brennan recalled standing near the Arizona student section during the Kansas State game and hearing students direct personal and creative taunts toward him. He and Reed Francois concluded that the Zona Zoo’s intensity could be directed at opponents during home games. Brennan said he hopes students are loud and “wild,” while also representing the university respectfully. For Tucson fans, the change could make the northeast end of the stadium a particularly disruptive setting for visiting players and coaches.

The broader stadium transformation follows a 20 year, $60 million naming rights agreement with Casino Del Sol, which gives the casino the naming rights to Arizona Stadium. New Casino Del Sol Stadium signs have appeared above and behind the south video board and on the copper colored towers at the north side. Arizona will also display new corporate and conference branding, including a co branded Big 12 and Monster Energy field patch near each 25 yard line. Casino Del Sol will have a field patch on the opposite side, while Big 12 and Monster branding will also appear on jerseys and helmets.

Reed Francois said the department is looking beyond this season as it considers the next phase of improvements. She identified the south end zone as a project for the next full year, though no specific design was announced. For now, Arizona is pairing the new lights and sound with food, seating and branding changes that will be immediately noticeable when fans return. The result is a stadium experience built around louder student pressure, more visual celebration and more ways for fans to spend game day inside Casino Del Sol Stadium.