NCAA Softball Tournament: Arizona Opens Up Capacity For Games

TUCSON, AZ — The Arizona Wildcats will have a full house at Rita Hillenbrand Stadium this weekend.

That's because the Wildcats are opening up capacity at Rita Hillenbrand Softball Stadium to 100 percent for this weekend's Tucson regional of the NCAA Softball Tournament.

Arizona Athletic Director Dave Heeke described the decision to open up capacity as one that came after much forethought and deliberation, deciding the tournament was the right time for such a move to be made.

"The athletic department’s comprehensive process to welcome fans back at Arizona sporting events has been rolled out in phases throughout the spring with the health and safety of all as our top priorities," Heeke said in a statement. "Having the Wildcat Family cheer on our student-athletes has enhanced the atmosphere of our venues and the experience of our student-athletes this spring, and we look forward to safely welcoming our fans back for postseason competition. Please remember to follow University of Arizona guidelines, sit in assigned seats and Bear Down!"

The Wildcats host fourth seed, Maryland-Baltimore County in Friday night's opening round of the tournament, while Ole Miss and Villanova play each other in the other matchup on Friday night.

From there, the winner of the Arizona-UMBC game will face the winner of the second contest at 2 p.m. Saturday, while the losers of Friday's contests play at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

The nightcap on Saturday pits the winner of the 2 p.m. contest against the winner from the 4:30 p.m. game, with a winner-take-all contest at 5 p.m. Sunday, if it's necessary.

To purchase tickets for the Tucson regional and read more about the university's COVID-19 gameday policies, visit Arizona's ticketing website.