Fans excited ahead of Arizona Wildcats’ March Madness opener | News

TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) – The road to a national championship begins now for the Arizona Wildcats as March Madness officially gets underway.

The Wildcats, entering their 39th NCAA Tournament appearance, are heading to the East Region as a No. 4 seed and will face No. 13 seed Akron in the first round on Friday.

Excitement is building in Tucson, as Wildcat fans gathered outside McKale earlier today to cheer on the team as they departed for the tournament. Hopes are high that Arizona will make a deep run in this year’s competition.

University of Arizona students and fans alike are feeling the March Madness fever.

“You can definitely feel it in the atmosphere. This is a basketball town,” said Jacob Aries, a U of A student. “We would love to bring another championship back. Me and my friends? We’re rooting for the Cats all the way. Bear Down!”

The Wildcats wrapped up an up-and-down season with a 22-12 overall record, finishing strong in Big 12 conference play before falling to Houston in the championship game. But with the NCAA Tournament here, past performances no longer matter, it’s all about surviving and advancing.

Meanwhile, Akron enters the game with an impressive 28-6 record after securing the Mid-American Conference title. This will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs, adding an extra layer of intrigue to Friday’s matchup.

While the team focuses on the first round, fans are already speculating just how far the Wildcats can go this year.

“I want to say Sweet Sixteen. At least Sweet Sixteen. Hopefully top four, but we’ll see,” said U of A student Lauren Intac.

RJ Molina, another Wildcats fan, is even more optimistic. “I think we go Final Four. We could pull it off, and I hope we pull it off. Let’s get it done!”

Tipoff for Arizona vs. Akron is scheduled for 4:35 p.m. on Friday. The Wildcats are looking to start their March Madness run strong, with their sights set on the ultimate goal, bringing home another national championship.