University of Arizona

The University of Arizona (also known as UA, or Arizona) is a public research university in Tucson, Arizona. The school began in 1885. It was the first university in the Arizona Territory. The school also includes the Banner – University Medical Center Tucson. This is a four-year M.D. college in downtown Phoenix. The mission of the University of Arizona is, "To improve the prospects and enrich the lives of the people of Arizona and the world through education, research, creative expression, and community and business partnerships." Arizona is one of the elected members of the Association of American Universities (an organization for research institutions). It is the only school from Arizona in the group. Athletics The sports teams are nicknamed the Arizona Wildcats (often shortened to "Cats"). They got the name from a 1914 football game with the California champions at the time, Occidental College. The Los Angeles Times said that, "the Arizona men showed the fight of wildcats." Sports are a big part of campus life at the school and they get a large amount of money to operate the programs. They are members of the Big 12 Conference in the NCAA, which they joined in 2024. The Wildcats have won national titles in several sports, most notably men's basketball, baseball, and softball. The official colors of the university and its athletic teams are UA Red and Arizona Blue. References