Beware of....the Zona Zoo

S

slimcat

Member
Hey Hawk Fans,

The corny dramatics in my thread title are only meant to be just that: dramatically corny. I'm sure you've played football in some seriously loud and electric stadiums, but after reading a lot of your posters on here, it sounds like you're expecting an atmosphere similar to that of "Indiana or Northwestern." In fact, one poster who claims to live here in Tucson and attends games here, says that the stadium is never loud. I wonder how many games he truly attends?

If there's one thing that can be said about Arizona Stadium, its fans, and especially the student section known as: The Zona Zoo, it is this: Arizona Stadium blows up for big games. Kirk Herbstreit last year after our double OT loss to Oregon said that the atmosphere was one of the best he'd been around.

Back to the Zoo. Our student section is known for being the best in the conference. We have over 15,000 students lining one entire length of the football field, 40 rows deep, from endzone to endzone; they arrive hours before the game to hopefully sit between the 20's. You will all be very rudely awakened if you expect Arizona fans and students to not be loud and crazy.

In the Stoops era, Arizona plays great at home (more recently now that he has his recruits), but they play outstanding when there's a ranked team coming into our house.

I hope you guys travel safe and we have an injury free ballgame.

Bear Down Hawkeye Fans!
 
slimcat said:
Hey Hawk Fans,

The corny dramatics in my thread title are only meant to be just that: dramatically corny. I'm sure you've played football in some seriously loud and electric stadiums, but after reading a lot of your posters on here, it sounds like you're expecting an atmosphere similar to that of "Indiana or Northwestern." In fact, one poster who claims to live here in Tucson and attends games here, says that the stadium is never loud. I wonder how many games he truly attends?

If there's one thing that can be said about Arizona Stadium, its fans, and especially the student section known as: The Zona Zoo, it is this: Arizona Stadium blows up for big games. Kirk Herbstreit last year after our double OT loss to Oregon said that the atmosphere was one of the best he'd been around.

Back to the Zoo. Our student section is known for being the best in the conference. We have over 15,000 students lining one entire length of the football field, 40 rows deep, from endzone to endzone; they arrive hours before the game to hopefully sit between the 20's. You will all be very rudely awakened if you expect Arizona fans and students to not be loud and crazy.

In the Stoops era, Arizona plays great at home (more recently now that he has his recruits), but they play outstanding when there's a ranked team coming into our house.

I hope you guys travel safe and we have an injury free ballgame.

Bear Down Hawkeye Fans!
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You act like we have never played in a hostile environment... Ask Penn State how their "White Out" went last year with 110,000 screaming fans went home disappointed last year.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib_nYU-laOc]YouTube - Iowa at #5 Penn State 2009[/ame]
 
My apologies slimcat, I didn't clarify enough when I posted about the atmosphere. When I was talking about Indiana/Northwestern, I meant size of the stadium. The stadium itself, not intimidating. The fans on the other hand, you are correct, the first game I was at was played against the Citadel saturday, and the noise for that route was minimal and that is understandable. I can imagine that the Zona Zoo can make things pretty loud with the 2nd deck keeping the noise down towards the field. I will be at the game and will fully experience how loud the Zoo can be.

Here is to an injury free ball game and a good luck every week after this one.

On Iowa! Go Hawks!
 
There's only room for one "Zoo" in the Pac-10, and Autzen takes the cake there.

I'm pretty sure that PSU's whiteout, and The Shoe WITH A ROSE BOWL BERTH ON THE LINE would qualify as pretty hostile environments. You guys probably have a pretty electric stadium, but it's not any more hostile than what we see in the Big 10.
 
tm3308 said:
There's only room for one "Zoo" in the Pac-10, and Autzen takes the cake there.

I'm pretty sure that PSU's whiteout, and The Shoe WITH A ROSE BOWL BERTH ON THE LINE would qualify as pretty hostile environments. You guys probably have a pretty electric stadium, but it's not any more hostile than what we see in the Big 10.
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I agree, that nickname just sounds like a cheap knockoff of the real "Zoo". I for one never heard about this "Zoo" you have when I lived in AZ from 02' to 09'. Although I'm sure you can get it pretty loud in there I'm not sure the players will be rattled by it. They've been there done that, not to knock what you have going down there its just that the Hawks have been in environments just as hostile just as loud and probably worse in some situations.

The only thing we might have to worry about besides the team on the other sideline is the weather and time. Although it might be hot still its not very humid so cramping hopefully won't be an issue. Its been in the 70's for the past week and a half and its not really possible to replicate the kind of conditions they'll face in AZ. As for time KF has been holding practices at night to help prepare for that issue. Ferentz has shown an ability to learn and change from mistakes, so I don't think we'll see another 04' ASU debacle.
 
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Temps wont be an issue, it will be down in the 80's by kick.

I'm sure the "Zona Zoo" is loud, but its not louder then THE white house at Penn State university, that is 107,282 fans who have marked that game as the game of the year to be at and raise hell, I don't recall any issues Iowa faced with noise during that game as we beat PSU 21-10 in the rain.

Cut to the shoe, 101,568 fans screaming their heads off in a game that determines the big ten champion and rose bowl representative. Iowa has few issues with the noise again as we take Tosu to the limit with our back up QB.

I'm not saying that Arizona stadium isn't loud and im not saying that Iowa will just show up, win and walk out, i'm saying this team has played in stadiums roughly twice its size to no i'll effect, they truly have been there done that. Now if this game was at Autzen... that would be a different story.
 
crowd size isnt going to bother Iowa

100k+ at Penn State
100k+ at Michigan
100k at Ohio State
85k at Wisconsin

Not to mention that from the sounds of it you'll have 10k Iowa fans in the stands Saturday night
 
I'm sure it will be a great atmoshpere Sat. Two top 20 teams, night game. The students will be pumped and I fully expect Iowa to be well represented there as well. Iowa fans travel very well and there are a lot of Iowa people down your way.

This has all of the makings of a great game!! This is one game that had me the most nervous coming into this season, but I have to tell you after watching Iowa so far this year, I know they will be ready. This will be a dog fight.
 
I'd be more worried about the ballplayers being distracted by the gals they'll see in the stands than the "intimidating crowd" they'll run into down there.
 
Slimcats - good luck this week. I've been pulling for 'Zona to do well (when not playing Iowa). Partly because of Stoops, partly because it brings more meaning to the game for Iowa if we win, partly because I dislike USC quite a bit. :)

Your post reminded me of this quote from last year's Penn St game.

"I've heard stories about how loud it could be," defensive end Broderick Binns said of the 109,316 spectators. "Today, we saw how quiet they can be."

I'm hoping for similar results in Tucson! Good luck.
 
okeefe4prez said:
I'd be more worried about the ballplayers being distracted by the gals they'll see in the stands than the "intimidating crowd" they'll run into down there.
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Eric Thigpen and Bob Bruce were discussing the Arizona eye candy toward the end of their post-game radio show Saturday night. Funny stuff!
 
okeefe4prez said:
I'd be more worried about the ballplayers being distracted by the gals they'll see in the stands than the "intimidating crowd" they'll run into down there.
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Normally, when I go to a game, I'm really focused on the game. I'm worried that the gals will distract me, too. Also, my wife my need to elbow me in the ribs occassionally. :)
 
I think the crowd will play a role, but not that much. As other people have mentioned, we have done alright in some of the loudest, craziest stadiums in the country.

Other factors, such as time, temperature, etc could have a bigger effect, IMO.
 
If we go down the field and score on our first possession it will take some of the sting out of the crowd. So, let's do it 3 games in a row!
 
Hydration will be the key for our boys. The heat during the game will not be a factor as much as the dry air. I'm sure our training staff will preach fluid uptake all week and loudly during the game.
As for the "zona zoo"? Yeah, ok. Brrrrr...shivering at the very thought of it....!:eek::p:D
 
VintageHawkeye said:
Hydration will be the key for our boys. The heat during the game will not be a factor as much as the dry air. I'm sure our training staff will preach fluid uptake all week and loudly during the game.
As for the "zona zoo"? Yeah, ok. Brrrrr...shivering at the very thought of it....!:eek::p:D
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you are correct. anyone dismissing the weather factors are kidding themselves. that dry heat just seems to take the air right out of your lungs.
 
ajones1996 said:
crowd size isnt going to bother Iowa

100k+ at Penn State
100k+ at Michigan
100k at Ohio State
85k at Wisconsin

Not to mention that from the sounds of it you'll have 10k Iowa fans in the stands Saturday night
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I agree that the size of the crowd is bigger than you've experienced, and I'll also agree that the crowd size is not going to bother Iowa. Arizona Stadium can fit around 60k including SRO, so it won't be the biggest place you've played; however, the stadium holds sound incredibly well, and it is know as being the 2nd loudest stadium in the conference, next to Autzen.

As you know with The Big House and the Badgers stadium, even though they have lots of seats, the acoustics of the stadium don't hold sound well. So the size of the crowd isn't as important as the sound level.

That being said...It should be loud no matter who is on defense since you guys will have over 10k people there.

Good luck and Bear Down!

(the Zoo is all the section below the red line in the pic)
 
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Slimcat - good points on noise, capacity and accoustics. The Big House is large, but commonly considered quiet (prior to the recent modifcations anyway). Whereas Kinnick at just shy of 71k is often considered as one of the toughest places to play due to the crowd, the noise they produce and their close proximity to the field.
 
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