Arizona Wildcats 2025 Non-Conference Schedule Preview
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Arizona opens the season with three home games in non-conference play. Here is a preview of each game before the Wildcats begin conference play.
Saturday, August 30 - vs. Hawaii
All-time matchup: Arizona leads 5-1 (2-0 in Tucson - last Arizona won 47-28 in Tucson on September 17, 2016)
The Wildcats open the season with three games at home. The first being against the Rainbow Warriors who went 5-7 last season. It will be their second game as they open the season against Stanford in Week 0. They are expected to start redshirt freshman Micah Alejado at quarterback who started the final two games of last season for Hawaii. He threw six touchdowns through the air to zero interceptions in those two games, while throwing for 469 yards in the game against New Mexico alone.
The Rainbow Warriors return leading rusher Landon Sims as well as their leading receivers from last season in Nick Cencacle and Pofele Ashlock.
Saturday, September 6 - vs. Weber State
All-time matchup: First matchup
In its second of three home non-conference games, Arizona will host Weber State who went 4-8 last season out of the Big Sky. The Wildcats of Weber State lost starting QB Richie Munoz to the transfer portal after he threw for 24 touchdowns to just six interceptions with a 61 percent completion percentage last season.
It is unclear who will be starting for them behind center, but Dijon Jennings appears most likely after appearing in five games last season as a transfer from Akron. They also lost their leading rusher to the transfer portal, but returned RB Davion Godley who was second on the team in rushing last season.
Friday, September 12 - vs. Kansas State
All-time matchup: Arizona leads 5-2-1 (5-1-1 in Tucson - last Arizona won 31-0 on September 9, 1978)
This is the second part of a home-and-home series between the two Wildcat teams in non-conference play despite them now being in the same conference. Arizona will be seeking revenge after getting blown out 31-7 in Manhattan last season.
Kansas State returns Avery Johnson at quarterback who ran all over Arizona’s defense last season for 110 yards to go along with 156 yards passing and two touchdowns. The Wildcats did lose DJ Giddens to the NFL who led Kansas State running backs in last year’s matchup, but return RB Dylan Edwards who ran for 41 yards on just six carries in a limited role last season.
It will be a return to Tucson for S Gunner Maldonado who transferred to Kansas State this offseason.
If Arizona is to get back to a bowl game this season, it will have to start strong in non-conference play and the Wildcats have all three of these games at home in Tucson to take advantage and start strong. They started with two wins before losing to Kansas State in non-conference play last season. They’ll have a good chance to start off 2-0 again before the rematch against the other Wildcats in the Big 12 at home.
Last season, the Wildcats went 2-1 in non-conference play. What will they finish in non-conference play this year. Let us know and be sure to follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.
Ari Koslow is a sports writer covering the University of Arizona athletics at On SI. Koslow has been covering Arizona sports for several years. Born and raised in Seattle, he is a diehard Seahawks fan and a longtime sufferer of the Mariners. He is a huge fantasy football fanatic. Koslow is a graduate of Arizona’s School of Journalism.