College
Athletic program+
The University of Arizona participates in the NCAA's Division I-A in the Pacific Ten Conference. Arizona joined the PAC-10 in 1978 along with Arizona State University, bringing the conference to its current 10 teams. The school colors are cardinal red and navy blue, and the fight song is "Bear Down, Arizona!"
History
The Wildcats name derived from a 1914 football game with then California champions Occidental College, where the L.A. Times asserted that Arizona "showed the fight of wildcats."
• The first sport to bring national recognition to UA was Polo. The 1924 UA Polo Team captured the Western Collegiate Championship, and traveled to the east coast to present U.S. President Calvin Coolidge with a cowboy hat. The UA Polo team faced Princeton University for the intercollegiate title and lost 6-2 and 8-0. With the onset of World War II, the UA was unable to continue sponsoring a Polo team.[1]
Mascot
The University mascot is an anthropomorphized wildcat named Wilbur. The identity of Wilbur is kept secret through the year as the mascot appears only in costume. In 1986, Wilbur married his longtime wildcat girlfriend, Wilma. Together, Wilbur and Wilma appear along with the cheerleading squad at most Wildcat sporting events.
Rivalries
A strong athletic rivalry exists between the University of Arizona and Arizona State University located in Tempe. Rivalries have also been created with other Pac-10 teams, especially University of California, Los Angeles which has provided a worthy softball rival and was Arizona's main basketball rival in the early and mid-1990s. With UCLA's 2006 Final Four appearance, the rivalry will likely be revitalized in the near future.
Sports
Varsity teams
The University of Arizona fields 18 intercollegiate varsity teams that compete in the NCAA. These teams include:
• Baseball, Men's & Women's Basketball, Men's & Women's Cross Country, Football, Men's & Women's Golf, Gymnastics, Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's & Women's Swimming/Diving, Men's & Women's Tennis, Men's & Women's Track & Field, and Women's Volleyball
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