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

“New food, new sound, new lights, new experiences for our fans,” said Arizona head coach Brent Brennan. “We’re working really hard to create an incredible game-day experience for everybody that comes to Casino Del Sol Stadium.”

Among the most notable technical changes: updated lights and an upgraded sound system.

The upgraded lighting system will allow Arizona to have pyrotechnic light shows for touchdowns and other celebratory moments. The Arizona football social media accounts teased Casino Del Sol Stadium’s ability to have multi-color lights. The new sound system, which was used during training camp, is less bassy, and lyrics in songs are more understandable.

“I’m most excited about the lights,” Brennan said. “I’ve coached in a bunch of games and been at places that had the light thing. It’s a cool moment. It’s cool for the fans, it’s cool for the players. As coaches, we’re unaware of that and locked into what’s happening in the game, but I think it’s a neat thing for the fans and the players.”

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 told the Star in July.

“Every year, we’re looking to enhance our fans’ experience, so we’re adding new elements this year,” she added. “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?”

Arizona is introducing a few new concession items to Casino Del Sol Stadium: “Cattails” (deep-fried pretzels with a cinnamon-sugar coating and cream cheese icing dip), “The Zookeeper” (hamburger with a beef patty, a chicken patty, egg, spam, peanut butter and jelly, American cheese, pepperjack cheese and mozzarella), “Southwest Big 12 Dog” (footlong hot dog, hatch chili pulled pork, queso, corn and pico de gallo) and deep-fried mac and cheese bites.

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.

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. Arizona still has on-field cabanas in the same area, which were introduced last season.

Arizona will have corporate on-field patches for the first time. On both 25-yard lines at Casino Del Sol Stadium, the Wildcats have a co-branded Big 12 and Monster Energy field patch for the conference’s multi-year entitlement agreement.

As part of the 20-year, $60 million deal with Casino Del Sol for naming rights to Arizona Stadium, Casino Del Sol will have a field patch on the opposite side of the Big 12 and Monster Energy logo. Arizona will also have co-branded Big 12 and Monster jersey patches and helmet decals.

Casino Del Sol Stadium signage can be spotted above and behind the video board on the south side of the stadium — and the copper-colored towers on the north side. The Casino Del Sol Stadium

For the first time in over 50 years, 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,” Reed-Francois said.

“I was standing with Desireé at the game against Kansas State,” Brennan said. “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?”

Brennan joked, “I’m sure they’ll have some really fun and colorful things to converse about with our opponents over the course of the season, which I’m looking forward to. … I want them to be respectful and represent the University of Arizona the right way. But those are students, and this is college football.

“I hope they are wild. And I hope they let them hear it.”