It is almost a new year which means there are new opportunities out there for the programs in the Arizona athletic department.
Here is a wishlist for some of the major programs in Arizona Athletics going into 2026:
Football: Be a Big 12 title contender
The success from this season has helped to lay down a foundation for what could be a future of sustained success. With a fumble recovery against BYU and one more defensive stop against Houston, Arizona could’ve been a Big 12 title contender this season.
The goal for next season should be a top contender to play in the Big 12 championship.
With the more than likely return of Noah Fifita, and being in year two of the Seth Doege offense, it should be an even better year for the offense.
Jay’Vion Cole and Taye Brown will be the leaders for Danny Gonzales defense, which will also be returning a good portion of the defense.
The downside of next season will be the loss of key seniors like Treydan Stukes, Dalton Johnson, Ismail Mahdi, and culture setters like Chubba Maae.
Another tough factor going into next season will be who the Wildcats play next season. They will travel to BYU, Texas Tech, Kansas State, and West Virginia.
While West Virginia is still in rebuild mode, they do have former Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez, who was fired by the University.
Home games do give Arizona a chance to win important games. Utah, TCU, and ASU all come to Tucson, which can help the Wildcats’ resume.
Brent Brennan’s culture and program will be put to the test next season, but if Arizona passes that test, it could lead them to Arlington and the Big 12 championship.
Men’s basketball: Make a Final Four run
Tommy Lloyd’s team has gotten off to a 12-0 start to the season and has earned the number one ranking in the country. It has cemented itself as a clear candidate to be a final four team in March.
Led by senior point guard Jaden Bradley, has a unique resume. The Wildcats have beaten the defending national champion Florida Gators, rival UCLA in Inglewood, and went on the road to be UCONN.
The biggest factor into Arizona’s success is the freshman class it brought in. Highlighted by Koa Peat, whose introduction came against Florida with a 30 point performance, each freshman is a crucial part to the lineup.
Brayden Burries has started to find his groove, Ivan Kharchenkov is a glue guy who can do everything, and Dwayne Aristode has become an outside the arch threat.
With Tobe Awaka and Mo Krivas dominating the glass, there are very few holes on the roster. All that being said, Arizona has the making of a team that can make a final four run.
It would be the first final four appearance since 2001 when the Wildcats lost to Duke in the championship game.
Women’s basketball: Build the foundation for the future
In Becky Burke’s first season, she has gotten her team off to a 9-3 start. While it may have been against lesser competition, it is all part of the plan.
Coming over from Buffalo, this is Burke’s biggest opportunity as a head coach to this point. She was able to put together a roster mixed with upperclassman leadership and young talent.
Led by Noelani Cornfield, who followed Burke from Buffalo, is a do it all guard. By her side is Mickayla Perdue, a threat from beyond the arch.
Up to this point almost every player on the roster has been able to come in and showcase what they can do. Again, it’s all part of Burke’s plan to lay a foundation for the future.
More than likely this season won’t produce any post season action, given how talented the Big 12 is. This season is about gaining experience and trying to be as competitive as the Wildcats can be.
This means for freshmen like MJ Jurado and Daniah Trammell, this season is about coming in and crafting their games. Even for Burke, it is a season of growth.
Arizona will be put in situations where Burke is going to have to figure out how she handles certain situations as a coach. All of this leads into next season where the Wildcats will have a chance to continue off of the foundation built this season.
Baseball: Earn back-to-back World Series appearances
Following the program’s 19th appearance in the world series, Chip Hale is now looking to regroup to earn the 20th world series appearance next season.
With nine players from the 2025 roster taken in the MLB draft, the most since 2008, Arizona does return some key players from last season.
Pitchers Smith Bailey, Owen Kramkowski, and Tony Pluta all return this season. Bailey and Kramkowski combined for 36 starts last season, while Pluta is a proven closer
Arizona also returns left fielder Easton Breyfogle, first baseman/outfielder Andrew Cain, and third baseman Maddox Mihalakis.
Pieces are in place to help the Wildcats get back to the world series, as well as defend its Big 12 title. While they may have lost professional talent, Hale has shown he can coach his teams to post season highs.
Softball: Win Big 12 Championship
Last season, Arizona was able to have some post season opportunities. The Wildcats were able to get to the Big 12 championship and host an NCAA regional.
Caitlin Lowe will look to get her team back in both of those spots. However, this offseason has led to the loss of key veteran players from last season.
Seniors Devyn Netz, Paige Dimler, and Miranda Stoddard all finished out their careers last season. Then the transfer portal came into play when Dakota Kennedy and Kaiah Altmeyer left to SEC schools Arkansas and Texas.
Now Arizona will have to rely on veterans Sydney Stewart, Tayler Biehl, and Regan Shockey to lead the way this season. While the veterans lead, the youth of the team will have to step up right away to help make plays.
Sophomores Emma Kavanagh and Jenna Sniffen were able to gain some experience last season, which should help take some of the load off of the veterans.
While it may not be as talented of a team as last season was, there is still an opportunity for the Wildcats to get back to the Big 12 title game. If Arizona can go and win the Big 12, it could lead to another NCAA regional in Tucson.
Volleyball: Get back to NCAA tournament
In just her third year, Charita Stubbs took her program to the NCAA tournament for the first time under her tenure. Highlighted by Jordan Wilson, the Wildcats were able to make it to the second round before getting knocked out by Stanford.
Going from just eight wins in her first season, Stubbs has taken her program from ground zero and has turned it into a legit force to be reckoned with.
Next season, the Wildcats will be without Wilson, along with Ana Heath, who was a player that was relied upon by Stubbs to go in and be ready to do anything.
However, Arizona does bring back veteran Carlie Cisneros. With two seasons under her belt, it should be a breakout season for the junior outside hitter.
Also returning are middle blockers Journey Tucker and Adrianna Bridges. Both have shown an ability to create a wall at the net, while also being strong attackers.
The goal for next season is to get back to the NCAA tournament, but more than that, Arizona should want to host a regional. It would be an opportunity to showcase the new Taraflex court it installed this season.
Triathlon: Go for the three-peat
Wes Johnson has probably led the most successful program within Arizona athletics over the last couple of years. In just three years of existence, his team has won back to back national championships.
Beating out TCU and ASU in the championship, senior Kelly Wetteland earned the individual national champion title. She will be returning next year to lead her team.
So what could that mean for next season? Clearly, it means that Arizona should be a clear front runner to win its third straight title.
Returning next season alongside Wetteland, are four top ten finishers from the championship.
Juniors Margareta Vrablova, Ellison Wolfe, Mia Wentzy, and Ruth Pardy will be looking to either dethrone teammate Wetteland or finish once again in the top ten.
Soccer: Be competitive in the Big 12
Becca Moros will be entering her sixth season in Tucson, and safe to say they want to improve next season.
Coming off of a 7-11-1 season, the Wildcats struggled against conference opponents, only winning two conference games last season.
A big loss this offseason came when Aurora Gaines transferred to Auburn. She was tied for first in goals this season, and was second in assists.
One major area to focus on is the offense. In 15 of the 19 games, the Wildcats put up either a one or zero on the scoreboard. Going into next season, Moros should probably look to junior Jessica Bedolla, who was tied with Gaines for first in goals.
As far as defense, Arizona will be without senior goalkeeper Olivia Ramey. It will need to turn the page to one of two sophomores in either Sofia Cortes-Browne or Kayla Kirchoffner.
Cortes-Browne did play in two games last season, so more than likely she will start next season. Regardless of who starts for Arizona, they will need to be more competitive next season.
Many times last season, they looked as if it was just going through the motions of its games. If they can take control of games from the get-go, it will give them an opportunity to be more competitive in most of its games next season.
