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We don’t want to dwell on that final in-person football game. Let’s just say it did not end well for the Cats.

The Cats open the season Sept. 4 against BYU in the Las Vegas Kickoff at Allegiant Stadium, home to the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders.

Last season, the COVID-19 pandemic left ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Stadium a hollow cavernous shell. Cardboard cutouts taking the place of actual fans were the only witnesses to the Wildcats three home game losses.

The team didn’t fare any better on the road, losing both road games and going 0-5 on the season — one of the team’s worst seasons in school history.

Let’s not bring up the 2020 ASU game in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ last December either.

With pandemic restrictions relaxed, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Stadium will let fans back in the stands to see if newly hired head coach Jedd Fisch can turn the program around. And before they hit the turnstile at the entrance to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Stadium on the UA campus, many of those fans will set up their tents and RVs on the mall to take part in the age-old tradition of tailgating.

In case the COVID year away has fogged your tailgating memories, we hope this will serve as a reminder.

Tailgating, according to Merriam-Webster, is “a social gathering in which food and drinks are served at or near the back end of a parked vehicle (such as a pickup truck) that usually occurs in a parking lot before or after a public event (such as a football game or concert).� The parking lot in this case is the UA Mall off North Campbell Avenue and East Speedway, which does require a pass issued by the university ahead of the game.

Adult beverages are a given and we don’t need to preach to you about drinking responsibly. The UA has a few rules including a ban on hard alcohol, no kegs and you can’t sell alcohol in the tailgating area. Also, there is no drinking in the tailgate area after kickoff, according to the rules and regs posted on .

Nothing goes better with a cold brew than a fresh-from-the-grill hotdog or burger, which you can cook on your gas grill. Leave the charcoal or wood-fired grill at home.

Once the game is over, you have an hour to clear out of the mall. Word of advice: Give yourself enough time before the game starts to pack everything up.

In June, UA officials said they would open ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Stadium to full capacity — 50,782, according to the fun little quick facts posted on the stadium Here’s hoping Coach Fisch and his crew give us plenty of reason to pack the stands.

Game tickets: $13 to $214, $6 for kids 3 to 12 through

Tailgate pass: Call the McKale Ticket Office at 621-2287 or visit for details.

Bear Down Fridays

If tailgating isn’t your thing but you still want to cheer on the Wildcats, head over to Main Gate for its Friday pre-game community pep rally.

Every Friday before a Wildcats home game, the merchants and their landlord, the Marshall Foundation, put on a blocks-long party along Main Gate Square, the wonderfully rich and diverse entertainment and shopping district on East University Boulevard at the UA’s main entrance. It’s a chance to showcase the merchants, restaurants and bars and get everyone psyched for the game.

Like everything else in 2020, Bear Down Fridays was canceled, but it’s coming back for its 15th season on Sept. 10 — just in time for the Wildcats first home game of the season. The fun starts at 6 p.m. with the Pride of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Marching Band, UA Poms, Twirlers and Guard ensembles and the UA Cheer squad. And, of course, Wilbur and Wilma will be leading the cheers and hugging the fans.

Some UA coaches and staff are also expected to make guest appearances on the rally’s main stage. For many in the crowd, it will be the first time they get a glimpse of the new coaching team headed by Fisch.

In a written release, Kris Siuda, the Marshall Foundation’s event coordinator, encouraged participants, especially those who have not yet gotten the COVID-19 vaccine, to wear a mask. CVS pharmacy, anchoring Main Gate at 825 E. University Blvd., is offering vaccines, Siuda added.