Final Four Finally

BizTUCSONApril 20, 2026

2 minutes read

Arizona Fans Celebrate Historic Season

By Steve Rivera

Suzy Reinier was in basketball heaven in Indianapolis, at Lucas Oil Stadium and the Final Four. She was with family and a few thousand Arizona Wildcats fans.

Nervous, yes. Confident, yes. Excited, of course.

“I loved our time at Final Four and I’m fortunate to have been a part of that experience,” she said. “We are looking forward to doing it again.

University of Arizona graduate Garrett Lough was wearing his lucky 1997 hat, which he’s had since age 11. He said at the fan tailgate: “We’re trusting Tommy!”

Indeed.

Lloyd is quickly becoming Arizona’s modern-day Lute Olson. Fans will follow him anywhere and everywhere, including the Final Four, a coveted place Arizona hadn’t been to in 25 years. The school sold out of its 3,100-ticket allotment immediately, with thousands of others traveling from all over the country to see the Cats.

In his fifth year, Lloyd has turned into Arizona’s Dreamweaver.

“I felt a collective sense of joy and relief in the community,” Lloyd said of the program returning back to the Final Four.

Arizona fans rejoiced in a record-breaking season, finishing with a 36-3 record, a Big 12 Conference regular season championship, and postseason tournament championship. Lloyd also was honored with the Naismith Coach of the Year award. Jaden Bradley was the Big 12 Player of the Year.

It all came together with a trip to the Final Four.

Former players from the Lute Olson era, Andre Iguodala, Kevin Flanagan, Matt Muehlebach, Harvey Mason, Miles Simon, Salim Stoudamire, Damon Stoudamire and Josh Pastner were all there. And so was UA football star Rob Gronkowski.

“I had a great time amongst the fans, seeing everyone wearing their 1997 shirts and talking about the game before it started, feeling that excitement from the crowd and fan base,” said Pastner, a member of the 1997 championship team, now the head coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

“Arizona has such an incredible fan base as it follows the team with a passion and intensity. It’s second to none. It was a privilege to be sitting with the fans and former players from the different eras to watch one of the greatest Arizona teams in history of the program coached by Tommy Lloyd.”

In his press conference, Lloyd said someone told him UA’s last Final Four in 2001 “was the best thing that happened in his life. And in that time, he got married and had three kids. So, wow, that’s pretty cool.”

It’s also cool that Lloyd will be back, officially extended as Arizona’s men’s basketball coach with a new contract through 2031. News of the announcement came at Lloyd’s press conference in Indianapolis the day before the Cats played Michigan. It was celebrated on the charter plane carrying boosters that same day.

The love in Indy was there – and in the air – for a well-played season.

“Thank them for everything,” Lloyd told the fans after UA’s loss to Michigan. “Obviously, we’re disappointed we weren’t able to get it over the top for them. But I think we all saw what’s possible again. Let’s all roll up our sleeves and support each other and see if we can make this a normal thing. That would be awesome for me.”

So, is there is more in store?

“One Final Four?” he asked. “Why don’t we go five times in 10 years? I mean, that’s where my mind’s at. You know, I’m going to do it day by day. But that’s my big dream. I mean, who knows?”