First comes the popular line from “The Hangover”.
Hello, how about that ride in? I guess that’s why they call it ... “Tucson,” a voice interjects.
Then comes an eight-second snippet of: “Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends,” from a 1973 song by Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
Cue loud noises, with a heavy beat. A voice chimes in and says, “Welcome. Get ready for the ride.”
More loud noises, and the bass drops.
Lil’ Jon yells “Arizona!”
And we’re off.
This is the beginning of a four-minute track, curated by Jack Strandberg, a.k.a. DJ Ajaxx, a senior business major at the UA.
Tonight, it’ll be the sound that kicks off the first game, and the season, for Zona Zoo, Arizona’s student section.
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“It’s going to be really loud in the Zoo,” said Jacob Borcover, Zona Zoo’s executive director. “It’s kind of like a welcome back, with a Vegas accent. It’ll be a chance for the Zoo to get on camera, go crazy, and hype people up for the game.”
Strandberg created and mixed the track, theming it around the Wildcats’ first opponent, UNLV, and the school’s Las Vegas origin.
The song will come on about six to eight minutes before kickoff, just before the intro video, booming from the half-dozen new speakers installed around the Zona Zoo’s section on the stadium’s west side.
If all goes well, Strandberg will make a new song for each home game, themed around the opponent. He did the same for much of the 2013-14 men’s basketball season.
“For the Oregon basketball game, I took shots about how we won in football, and how it was duck hunting season,” he said.
That’s not all that’s changing for Zona Zoo this season. Here’s a look at what else is changing.
The shirt
Zona Zoo introduces a new T-shirt design designed by students every year. This year’s iteration is red. On the front, it says “Zona Zoo” (the “a” is the signature block “A”) in medium-sized print. Then below that is “BEAR DOWN.” The “BEAR” is white; “DOWN” is blue.
Last year, Zona Zoo introduced some text on the back for the first time: “Zona Zoo stays the entire game!” That returns.
The sway
Students are about to get real friendly.
Shortly after the coin toss, a guest speaker — likely athletic director Greg Byrne tonight — will give the Zoo a pep talk, using the new speakers, and will lead the its newest chant, called the “Zona Sway.”
The plan is for the students to put their arms around each other, sway back and forth in unison, and chant “Zona, Zona, Zona,” dragging out the “o” each time.
“Obviously it’s the first time, so it’s probably not going to run entirely smoothly,” Borcover said, “but the goal is to start something new there.”
The rewards
In recent years, staying through the end of the game has been something of an issue for fans at Arizona Stadium.
Last year, to combat that, Zona Zoo introduced a cash-prize system.
Against NAU and UTSA, five fans were chosen at random and given $500 at the conclusion of each game — if they were still in attendance to claim the prize.
This year, Zona Zoo will likely do the same — or at least something similar — but is also adding a general rewards program for students into the mix.
“It’s going to be linked into every aspect of what we do,” Borcover said. “Students will be able to accumulate points for going to football games, baseball games, etc.”
Working with a company that runs rewards systems for multiple universities, Borcover and company will be able to track what events students attend when they use their CatCards for entry into each venue.
Students earn points for attending everything from men’s basketball games — the lowest point value, since attendance is already solid there — to women’s volleyball matches.
With football, extra points will be tied into game-changing moments as well.
“So if you’re at the stadium when we force a delay of game or force a false start,” Borcover said, “you’re going to get points for helping change the game.”
There will also be social media tie-ins, and other events at which to accumulate points, such as the Zona Zoo Blood Drive and Bear Down Friday.
“We want to reward our students, because we think they do a great job,” Borcover said. “They truly make a difference on the game, and it also promotes our other events.”
