Jedd Fisch unveils new Arizona football gameday traditions

Jedd Fisch has injected new life into the Arizona football program, evidenced by the more than 8,000 fans that flocked to Arizona Stadium for Saturday night’s scrimmage, which officially marked the end of fall camp.

The next time the Wildcats play in Arizona Stadium, San Diego State will be town and the game will actually count. Fisch is hoping to draw a sellout crowd, and he previewed some of the new traditions fans can expect to experience.

The first: before the Wildcats storm out of the tunnel before each game, half the crowd will chant “Red!” followed by the other half chanting “Blue!”

Fisch is borrowing that idea from his alma mater, the University of Florida, which does an Orange-Blue chant before kickoff.

“That first five minutes before the game...we better be as loud as s—t,” Fisch told the crowd Saturday. “You got me on that?”

At the end of the third quarter, Fisch wants fans to stand, wrap arms, and sing All Hail, Arizona—the song that many UA fans don’t actually know the lyrics to, even though it’s considered the school’s Alma Mater.

Fans will then recite “Happy Does” by Kenny Chesney. Fisch chose that slow country song because at the 1:18 mark the lyrics say, “Some find it in the scripture or a Polaroid picture. Or flip a coin, heads, you’re goin’ to Tucson, Arizona.”

“I want every freaking person in this stadium to yell that verse,” Fisch said.

Getting people to show up to games is one thing. Keeping them engaged and in their seats for all four quarters is another. Fisch is well aware of this, so he also pledged to dish out 500 Chick-Fil-A sandwiches to students who stay the entire game.

Fisch has mentioned before that he wants the ZonaZoo to be “the best party in the country.” His plans for the student section include—but are certainly not limited to—a DJ, a light show, and giveaways.

“I would love for people to be standing on top of one another having the best possible time they could possibly have,” he said on local media day.