Seating, lights and sound system upgrades to enhance Arizona football fan experience

FRISCO, Texas — Two important steps to Arizona’s plan to update Casino Del Sol Stadium are nearly complete.

In February, the UA announced multiple upgrades coming to Casino Del Sol Stadium, including new stadium lights, an updated speaker system and modernized video boards, among other details.

The updated lights and sound system are being finalized this week and will be tested throughout the month of August leading up to the season opener against Northern Arizona on Sept. 5.

Fans will have to wait, however, for a new video board experience.

“The university has not begun the process of securing a partner for scoreboard, display and fan-related experience technology,” a UA spokesman told the Star, and it “has not yet initialed its formal RFP (request for proposal) process.”

The Arizona athletic department surveyed UA fans at the end of last season and “sound was overwhelmingly one of the top options, so we are putting in new sound and new lights” this season, Arizona athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois said at Big 12 Media Days.

“I love reading the surveys and being able to make some changes based on those surveys,” Reed-Francois said. “I love the in-game atmosphere. I can’t control what happens on the field, but if we can make a memory that a child will talk to their parent about 20 years down the line, that fills my heart.”

Added Reed-Francois: “Every year, we’re looking to enhance our fans’ experience, so we’re adding new elements this year. This year, it’s new lights and new sound and the table tops. In the next full year, we’re going to be looking at what is the next step in the south end zone. What does that look like?”

The upgraded lighting system will allow Arizona to have pyrotechnic light shows for touchdowns and other celebratory moments. Arizona assistant athletic director of facilities Tom Moore told UA team reporter Mackenzie Hamilton: “It’s very modern, up to date, and it’s going to be great for TV. Better lighting, all of that. There’s going to be some flashing around and colors that we haven’t had in the past.”

Arizona is also debuting the “Cats Corner” on the northeast side of Casino Del Sol Stadium. The section between the Zona Zoo and Sands Club in Lowell-Stevens Football Facility, which spans from the 10-yard line to the back of the end zone, will have 56 tables with swivel chairs — four-top and two-top tables — and 38 drink rail seats. The two-top tables are priced at $600 per game, and the four-top tables are $1,200. The drink rail spots are $250 per game, and the game day buffet and access to the Cats Corner Lounge (below Section 1) are included for all three options.

Tony Daniel — Arizona’s senior associate athletic director, revenue generation & engagement — said fans “wanted something different, some middle-tier premium experience.” Daniel observed the table-top seating at BYU’s LaVell Edwards Stadium in 2024. Arizona also has on-field cabanas in the same area, which were introduced last season.

“This is a great entry point for someone who wants more than just a normal seat, but it’s not the Sands Club,” Daniel said. “It’s not the Sands Club, but there’s a middle class of people that want something between a regular seat and the Sands Club. This is a great opportunity to do that.”

The Cats Corner takes over the section that was formerly used by players’ families during games, but with the Wildcats changing sidelines for the 2026 season, players’ families will now sit on the west side of Casino Del Sol Stadium. Visiting teams will now stand on the sideline in front of the Zona Zoo.

Arizona’s road loss to Kansas State in 2024 “planted the seed for us to flip the benches,” said Reed-Francois.

“We were hearing some very interesting comments from their fans and they were behind our bench,” added Arizona’s athletic director.

Added Arizona head coach Brent Brennan: “I was standing with Desireé at the game against Kansas State. The student section was on our sideline. Her and I were talking about the old Pac-12 rule, where you couldn't have the student section on the visiting team's sideline. In the Big 12, that's not a rule.

"Right behind me, the students were all over me. They found really creative things to say about my mom, my sister — they were relentless! ... At that point, Desireé and I started talking about putting the visiting team in front of the Zona Zoo, because the Zona Zoo is one of the best parts about coming to game day here. They're rowdy, having a great time and add incredible energy to the environment. Maybe we can turn some of that on the opponent?"

There’s going to be several changes to the game-day atmosphere this season, but the most notable ones will be where the Wildcats stand during the game, lighting, sound and the variety of seating options.

“For us, we wanted to touch points for all of our fans,” Daniel said. “There are so many levels of people. It could be the basic — ‘I come to the game to have a hot dog, get my normal stuff and sit in the south end zone with my family and have a great time.’ There’s also people at the Sands Club and everything in between. We don’t have those levels yet at the stadium, so we’re trying to build different levels of premium, but also have normal fan experiences and upgraded experiences.

“I hope that’s what we’re able to do over the next couple of years.”

Extra points

– Reed-Francois has aspirations to reinstall “a new version of the Knothole Club,” a program that provided low-cost tickets to Tucson youth and local families. Said Reed-Francois: “It’s not all the way there and it’s still in development, but in that south end zone, how do we revitalize that space? I’m excited about that, but it’s still in the planning stages.”

– Reed-Francois, on Arizona winning the Big 12 Commissioner’s Cup, an annual award given to a Big 12 school for on- and off-the-field achievements: “That’s a testament to our coaches, our student-athletes, our staff, our university and our fans. I’m very thankful. … It’s been a successful year and we just want to continue to build on that.”

– Reed-Francois, on the state of Arizona football entering Year 3 under Brennan: “As we’re entering our third football season, I’m really optimistic about the future. The culture of the program is authentic. When (Brennan) talks about ‘Redline’ and that standard, you can feel it when you walk into that building. There’s an energy there that is authentic. His (players) feel cared about and they’re more than just a number. … The care they have for this program, the care they have for one another, for Coach Brennan and the university, it’s real.”