A fan’s wishlist for Arizona Athletics facility upgrades

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In the arms race that is college athletics, investing in the fan experience isn’t always among the top line items for athletic departments with ballooning payrolls and debt arrangements.

The decision to invest in facility upgrades that benefit the regular fan is nevertheless one that athletic directors need to take seriously or risk alienating their consumer base.

Arizona football fans for example have long lamented that the gameday experience is behind the times. In recent years fans have criticized long lines to enter the stadium, a mediocre sound system (more on that in a minute) and the overall lack of big game atmosphere that accompanies other programs.

For Arizona athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois and her staff, there’s no easy answer to addressing fans’ concerns and preferences, especially for non-revenue facilities.

Arizona football and basketball (and to a lesser extent, volleyball) fans stand to benefit in the coming years thanks to $50 million in infrastructure improvements that the Arizona Board of Regents approved last year. Those improvements will go towards addressing lighting, seating, sound, restrooms, and game day operations at McKale Center at ALKEME Arena and Casino Del Sol Stadium.

Upgrades for the upcoming football season include a new sound system and modernizing the video board. These improvements are a good start for Arizona Athletics’s most valuable asset, but they’re also a reminder of how far the UA has to go to meet fans’ expectations across the school’s venues.

Here is a short wishlist of stadium upgrades. Feel free to share your fan improvement suggestions in the comments.

Softball​

Longtime Wildcats softball fans remember the Mexican food truck that used to sit beyond the right field wall at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium. The food truck was a local, tasty alternative to traditional ballpark concessions like hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken tenders.

The vendor behind the food truck may moved on for whatever reason, taking away a special culinary option for fans. Concessions across the rest of the stadium are par for the course, but it wouldn’t hurt for there to be another option or two.

Baseball​

Hi Corbett Field was built a century ago, making it one of the oldest baseball stadiums in the western United States. The stadium has aged well over the decades, and most fans would agree that it makes for a fun place to spend an evening or afternoon as long as the sun isn’t baking your forehead.

Some modest improvements could make the stadium an even better place to experience baseball. Season ticket holders who sit behind home plate would benefit from more covered seats. A lounge area and/or party suites would accommodate large groups who want a slightly upscale setting.

The parking lot has seen better days. Repaving the lot would be up to the city of Tucson, not the university. The UA could (and should) advocate for this improvement.

Soccer​

The playing surface on Murphey Field at Mulcahy Soccer Stadium appears to be well-maintained and up to the task for Division I soccer. That’s just about the only good thing about Arizona soccer’s facility, although it’s undoubtedly the most important aspect of an athletic facility.

When it comes to amenities for fans, media, and even players, there’s much to be desired. The most important one is shade.

Tents are set up for the teams on the east side of the field, but the fans are left in the blazing sun on metal stands if they want to actually watch the game. When the sport is often played around noon in August and September, that isn’t just uncomfortable. In many cases, it’s dangerous.

EMTs are rarely called into action to attend to injured players at Mulcahy. It is more likely that they will be called to the field to address heat-related illness in the stands. Local emergency crews have made several stops in recent years.

Last season, a tent was put up in the parking lot that provided some shade for fans, but it isn’t sufficient and it requires that they lose sight of the field. Something needs to be done about shade over the stands.

Things like proper locker rooms for both home and visiting teams and a real press box where media and university staff can work may not exist for years to come, but addressing the shade issue for fans is pressing.

Kim Doss

Tennis​

Arizona men’s tennis has emerged into one of the better programs in the country over the past five years, and fans are taking notice. While home matches at LaNelle Robson Tennis Center don’t usually stretch the facility’s capacity, seating can be tough to come by during NCAA Tournament play.

The timing of the postseason comes as Tucson experiences early May heat that can touch 100 degrees or more. The reality for fans who don’t get a seat in the shaded bleachers is to either scurry over to the couple rows of shaded seats between the center courts or endure the sun and heat.

There’s relatively little seating under the shade for courts 5 and 6 on the north side of the facility.

Arizona would be wise to add more shaded seating so that more fans can attend and enjoy the high-energy tennis put on by both the men’s and women’s teams.

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