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Former Arizona tight end Rob Gronkowski catching passes again on the Arizona Stadium field during the Wildcats game against USC, Tucson, Ariz., October 29, 2022.

For the second straight season, homecoming weekend will have the Gronks in town.  

Former Arizona tight end Rob Gronkowski, whose brother Chris Gronkowski starred at fullback for the Wildcats, will be the team's honorary captain on Nov. 4, when the Wildcats face No. 23 UCLA at 7:30 p.m. for homecoming. Gronkowski was also an honorary captain last year before Arizona's loss to 10th-ranked USC in Tucson.

Gronkowski will also be inducted into the UA Sports Hall of Fame that weekend as well.  

Fisch revealed Gronkowski's honorary captain status on Monday when the Arizona head coach was asked by the former UA star and four-time Super Bowl champion becoming the newest title sponsor of the L.A. Bowl at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. ESPN's latest bowl projections has the Wildcats playing in the Gronk L.A. Bowl against Wyoming on Dec. 16. ESPN also has another projection with the UA facing future Big 12 opponent TCU in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana. 

"I'm more excited about that part of it, to get him back on campus," Fisch said. "Gronk has continued to support our program since I've been here and I'm very grateful for that. So we'll have him back on campus next Saturday."

Since Fisch was hired, Gronkowski has visited Tucson once a year, which first started during the 2021 spring game, marking a decade since Gronkowski stepped foot on the UA campus. He attended the spring game in 2011 following his rookie season with the New England Patriots, then never returned until the '21 spring game. Last season, Gronkowski returned to Tucson for homecoming and was also they keynote speaker at the Arizona Bowl kickoff luncheon. 


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Contact Justin Spears, the Star's Arizona football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports