The Wildcats hoisted the West Regional Championship trophy after beating Purdue in San Jose in the Elite Eight on March 28 to advance to Saturday’s Final Four against Michigan in Indianapolis

The University of Arizona Wildcats are heading back to the Final Four for the first time in 25 years following their victory over Purdue.

The highly anticipated matchup against Michigan on Saturday has many businesses around the state anticipating a storm of Wildcats bearing down on them.

In Phoenix, the go-to Wildcats headquarters for the past two years has been none other than Dirtbags. The sister location to the iconic Tucson bar on East Indian School Road in Phoenix has been embracing the large rush of Arizona fans all tournament long. 

“We’ve had a lot more attendance and excitement,” explained co-owner Scott Hibler. “It’s something you have to experience for yourself. It is such high energy. We have music going and a megaphone alongside the game. We’re really just trying to maximize everyone’s experience.”

Hibler expects Saturday’s game to be the biggest yet in terms of excitement and attendance.

“We’re expecting a pretty packed house, line out the door, all that,” he said. “We are having additional people working this weekend, hoping to minimize the amount of time it takes to get people their food and drinks. We’ve also ordered an extra amount of alcohol, cakes, food, all that.”

Hibler said the restaurant will be running a limited menu in an attempt to keep the night as manageable as possible for customers and staff.

In Yuma, you can find a Wildcats presence at Brewers Restaurant & Sports Bar on South Avenue B, where the  YumaCats meet up to watch the games. 

The YumaCats are one of many Arizona Alumni Association groups around the country meeting up this weekend to cheer on the Cats

For fans looking for fellow Arizona supporters both in the state and around the country, the alumni association’s website (alumni.arizona.edu) makes it very easy to find local alumni groups hosting watch parties this Saturday. From somewhere close like Phoenix all the way to New York alums are coming together to root for their Cats.

In Tucson, there’s likely not a single bar that won’t have its flatscreens tuned into the game. But for a truly unique experience, the UA on Wednesday announced it’ll be screening the game live at the McKale Center at ALKEME Arena. Admission is free, but you have to RSVP at arizonawildcats.com.

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