For a guy who once shaved his head to show only an “A” on the back, Page Repp was helping spread the Arizona brand in a different way once again Saturday.
Repp is a founding partner of the Dusk Music Festival, which put on seven pregame shows at Bear Down Field before UA football games while also hosting DJ Diesel (Shaquille O’Neal) and Tomm-E (UA coach Tommy Lloyd) for another show following the preseason Red-Blue Showcase.
On Saturday, Dusk produced the first of five planned shows around basketball games north of McKale Center, and the booming DJ music was audible all around the building.
“To be able to combine my passion for U of A and my passion for events is a dream come true,” Repp said.
DJ TVBOO gets the Bear Down Bash going outside of McKale Center before Saturday's Auburn-Arizona men's basketball game.
Some attendees stood in front of the stage during a headliner set from Mitch Draper, aka “TVBOO,” while others watched from further back, where a row of food and drinks was available. But the biggest crowd was a line of fans waiting for autographs from the UA football team.
The Wildcat football players on hand included cornerback Jay’Vion Cole, receiver Isaiah Mizell, linebacker Jabari Mann, linebacker Max Harris, linebacker Taye Brown, running back Kedrick Reescano, defensive back Treydan Stukes, safety Dalton Johnson, defensive tackle Deshawn McKnight, wide receiver Gio Richardson, cornerback Michael Dansby and offensive lineman Chubba Maae.
Offensive lineman Chubba Maae (right) and several of his Arizona football teammates sign autographs at a pregame event Saturday outside McKale Center.
Future concerts are planned for UA’s games with West Virginia (Jan. 24), Texas Tech (Feb. 14), BYU (Feb. 18) and Kansas (Feb. 28). There are also discussions about holding watch parties on the UA mall for some daytime games.
More football love
While Auburn began its scoring 66 seconds into Saturday’s game, sitting McKale fans down, it wasn’t long before fans were standing again.
During the first media timeout, UA football players pretty much filled up all of the McKale floor, with some waving the Territorial Cup around and taking videos of moment, with fans cheering wildly.
Long week
After spraining his left ankle on Nov. 29 against Norfolk State, Arizona freshman wing Ivan Kharchenkov spent the early part of the week rehabilitating, then joined practices fully on Thursday.
Two and a half hours before Saturday’s game, he was the only player in the arena, working on his shooting with managers and staff. Kharchenkov wound up starting the game and having one of his best efforts yet, with 12 points, eight assists and a defensive role that helped limit Auburn's Keyshawn Hall to 13 points on 3-for-11 shooting.
Arizona forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) gets some practice shots in before the game against Auburn at McKale Center, Dec. 6, 2025.
Pasch, ESPN return
Saturday’s game was Arizona’s first on ESPN’s main platform this season, so it was no surprise to see Dave Pasch courtside.
The Phoenix-based play-by-play broadcaster said it was his first college basketball game of the season. Not only has he been busy with Cardinals football and NBA games, but two of UA’s previous home games were carried on ESPN+ while the Wildcats’ Nov. 7 game with Utah Tech was on TNT and its Nov. 24 game with Denver was on CBS Sports Network.
Peacock also picked up another game that might have otherwise suited Pasch: UA’s Nov. 14 game against UCLA in Los Angeles that featured tributes to Hall of Famer Bill Walton, who was Pasch’s longtime broadcast partner for UA and other Pac-12 games.
Before and during that game, UCLA students wore tie-dye T-shirts, while players from both teams wore No. 32 warm-up shirts in his honor. Music from Walton’s favorite band, the Grateful Dead, was occasionally played, too.
“That was cool,” Pasch said.
Students line up
Arizona students have it easy compared to many of their Big 12 counterparts, some of whom line up for one or more nights in sub-freezing weather before games.
Not only was it possible for UA students to be among the first in line by showing up in midafternoon, but it was barely below 60 degrees when the doors opened. Still, two hours before the game, there was a line almost all the way from McKale's northwest entrance to Cherry Avenue.
Arizona student fans line up two hours before the men's basketball hosted Auburn on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025.
Seeing red
Not only did Arizona encourage fans to wear red for Saturday’s game against the Orange-clad Tigers, but the athletic department also draped red “Bear Down” rally towels over each seat. That made even the lower-bowl blue seats look partially red, giving the arena a different look before fans entered.
Once the doors opened, the place stayed red, with the vast majority of fans showing up in red UA gear.
Bear Down towels are placed on every seat inside McKale Center ahead of the Wildcats game against Auburn, Dec. 6, 2025.
The big number
24 — Seasons since Arizona beat a ranked team by as many points as they did Saturday. The Wildcats beat then-25th-ranked California 99-53 on March 2, 2002, at McKale Center.
Quotable
"Phenomenal environment for college basketball. They've got something really, really special here, which is why they've lost six (home) games in last five years (since the 2022-23 season)."
-- Auburn coach Steven Pearl
