In a bittersweet finale, the PAC-12 basketball tournament in Las Vegas March 13-16 marked the end of an era, drawing a mix of sadness and celebration among fans and teams alike. 

For the University of Arizona Wildcats fans, who have shown unwavering support throughout the PAC-12 conference’s storied history, the event was particularly poignant.

Walking around the arena March 14 before Arizona tipped off its last PAC-12 tournament against USC, emotions ran high among Arizona fans. For many, it was a moment of nostalgia as they reminisced about past victories and the unforgettable moments from past PAC-12 tournaments since Arizona  joined the conference in 1978.

“Being a lifelong Arizona fan and coming to the PAC-12 tournament every year since 2018, it’s sad to see this year be the last year,” said Karla Olmos, who was getting ready to enter T-Mobile arena for Arizona’s game against USC.  “And obviously, (it) has been a thing that Arizona fans kind of take over and turn it into McKale North. But the conference and this tournament have meant a lot to us and have created great memories for me.” 

UA fans, known for their passionate and dedicated support, have been an integral part of the PAC-12 tournament’s atmosphere. Fans fill what has been commonly nicknamed McKale North with a sea of red and blue and rally behind their Wildcats with chants and cheers. Oftentimes, they are the loudest presence in the tournament.  Inside T-Mobile, it looks like an Arizona home game. Everywhere you look the seats are filled with fans displaying their Arizona pride with flags, banners, and gear. You can barely hear the competing band play, as the crowd is roaring , “U of A! U of A!” right before tip-off.  The atmosphere is electrifying. 

 The tournament’s end also sparked discussions about the future of college basketball and the evolving landscape of collegiate sports. With changes on the horizon, including realignment and new conference dynamics, some fans filling big swaths of the T-Mobile Arena expressed a mix of optimism and nostalgia for the future of the Wildcats.

“I’m split on Arizona moving on from the PAC-12 because I live near TCU and I’ll hopefully be able to watch a couple of games there when they play at TCU,” said Nicole Avila, a native of Tucson who now lives in TCU’s hometown of Fort Worth, Texas.  “But there’s a lot of history with the schools in the PAC-12 and it’s sad to see that go.”

As Arizona bid farewell to the PAC-12, there was a sense of sadness and frustration among Wildcat fans when Arizona lost in the semifinals to Oregon, 67-59. 

“It just doesn’t feel right that the final PAC-12 Tournament title isn’t going to Arizona,” Tucson native and UA alumni Courtney Weiser said as the realization of the loss sank in at the arena. She stood outside T-Mobile with her head down, shaking it slowly back and forth. “It’s nice we won the conference title, but as you can see with the amount of Arizona fans that are here in Vegas, we really thought we’d be winning the tournament. This loss is the hardest of the season by far for me.” 

 As fans bid farewell to this chapter, they look forward to writing new ones in the ever-evolving landscape of college sports.

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.