Arizona needs a big donor. Why not Tucson's Arte Moreno? | Greg Hansen

For the University of Arizona, the search for a new athletic fundraising leader comes at a moment when college sports finances are changing rapidly. The person hired to direct annual giving will be responsible for donor benefits, donor support, and attracting and retaining philanthropic support. That makes the position especially important for Tucson, where one of the country’s most prominent sports owners and successful sports donors has longstanding ties to the university. The argument being made is straightforward: Arizona should make Arte Moreno one of the new fundraiser’s first calls.

Moreno, now 80, has owned Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels for 23 years. During that time, the franchise has been associated with the rise of stars Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani and has won six American League West championships. His ownership has made him one of the most nationally visible people connected to Tucson. Among Tucsonans in the broader American sports world, only a small number of names, including gymnast Kerri Strug and athletes who grew up elsewhere, such as Rob Gronkowski, Annika Sörenstam and Steve Kerr, have achieved comparable recognition.

His connection to Arizona athletics began long before he became a major league owner. Moreno attended the University of Arizona and graduated in 1973 after using the GI Bill benefits he earned through Army service, including a year in Vietnam. Since the mid-1980s, he has consistently donated to the UA athletic department and other university programs. His support has not resulted in a sports facility bearing his name, unlike the recognition given to donors including Jim Click, Roy Drachman, Cole Davis, Bill Hillenbrand, Richard Jefferson, Terry Francona, Bill and Ginny Clements, and David Lowell.

There have been rumors that Moreno stopped supporting Arizona because former athletic director Greg Byrne attended Arizona State University. But that account is not accurate. Moreno may no longer occupy his former spot on the sideline at Arizona football games, where he was visible during the Mike Stoops era, but his interest in the Wildcats has remained clear. In a 2019 interview before his induction into the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame, he asked whether Arizona would ever reach the Rose Bowl. At the end of his emotional Hall of Fame speech, he urged the crowd to support the Wildcats.

That history gives Arizona an opportunity as Moreno’s time in Major League Baseball approaches its end. The university and Moreno could potentially work together on naming a sports facility in his honor. Such a move would recognize a Tucson native and UA graduate whose career has carried his name far beyond Southern Arizona, while also reinforcing his continuing relationship with the school. The proposal is not presented as a demand or as evidence that a naming agreement is imminent. Rather, it is a suggestion that Arizona should consider how to bring one of its most prominent alumni more visibly into the university’s future.

The timing matters because athletic departments are looking for increasingly creative ways to generate money. Duke recently approved a sponsorship agreement with Edward Jones that will place the financial services company’s name on the floor at Cameron Indoor Stadium, alongside the name of Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski. The same company is also expected to have its logo on Oregon’s football field, which is named for former Ducks coach Rich Brooks. Those arrangements show how traditional boundaries around college sports branding and sponsorships are shifting.

Iowa State offered another example when it held a George Strait concert at its on-campus football stadium. All 61,000 tickets sold, with the average price reaching $575. Athletic director Jamie Pollard said the event’s gross profit was comparable to an entire football season, and the school is working toward another concert in the summer of 2027. Arizona has not been described as pursuing a similar event, but the Iowa State example illustrates the scale of new revenue opportunities athletic departments are considering beyond games, ticket sales, and ordinary donations.

For Arizona, a donor with Moreno’s resources and connection to Tucson could be especially valuable as the university tries to remain competitive. The UA is now hiring the director of annual giving under athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois. The job advertisement reportedly took 13 paragraphs to outline its required qualifications, underscoring the breadth of the position. The new hire will need to manage existing relationships while building new ones, and Moreno offers a rare combination of financial capacity, national sports visibility, Arizona roots, and personal history with the university.

Moreno cannot be assumed to become Arizona’s version of Phil Knight, the Nike founder whose donations helped transform Oregon athletics into a national power. Nor is there any indication that a new facility naming agreement or major new contribution has been finalized. But with college sports fundraising becoming more aggressive, Arizona may need to think bigger about the people who can help sustain its programs. For Tucson, that means looking close to home. A renewed, more prominent partnership with Arte Moreno could honor one of the city’s most successful sports figures while giving the Wildcats a stronger financial foundation.