Year one of the Mike Stoops era begins in earnest today with the start of Camp Rincon Vista.
Stoops said he is eager to begin the season, saying it is the most wonderful time of the year.
"I'm just excited to see everyone, get everyone back together. It's an exciting time for everyone, I think, that loves college football and it is the greatest time of the year," said UA head coach Stoops. "Everyone has a lot of hope and high expectations ... we're excited to be back together as a team and to get back to work."
Sunday was "Reporting Day" in name only, as every player stayed over the summer for off-season workouts. With that type of dedication, Stoops expects an improvement from the 2-10 mark the team set in 2003.
"Basically I'm just proud of what they've done up until this point. We're a much better football team then when we broke after spring ball, just by what they've been doing," Stoops said. "We're going to have a chance to compete because of what they've done. We're a confident and determined football team starting (today)."
Last year only a handful worked out in Tucson, something Stoops said "makes it very, very difficult to practice."
"Kids can do extraordinary things when they set their minds to it. We're as talented as a lot of teams that we are going to play. It is a matter of who works the hardest and who reaches the closest to their potential," Stoops said. "Again, we've never earned that right over the previous few years, didn't work hard enough, so that was my message, to give themselves an opportunity to give themselves a chance to win. Do these things, then we'll have a chance to compete."
Stoops said he hopes junior wide receiver Biren Ealy, who was injured recently, will be back by the Utah game on Sept. 11. Last year Ealy was the Wildcat's top receiver, leading the wide outs in catches (42), yards (577) and touchdowns (4), over 11 games.
Stoops spent yesterday afternoon talking to his friend Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN's College Game Day and the NCAA 2005 video game. Stoops and his brother, UA defensive coordinator Mark Stoops, were interviewed for an upcoming segment in the weekly show.
Practice for the first week will start at 5:45 p.m. On Saturday, practice will begin at 9:05 a.m. followed by the first scrimmage later that night at 6:45 p.m. at Arizona Stadium.
Just like with the start of Spring Ball, the UA will start with no depth chart, with the Wildcats competing for their positions for about the first two weeks.
"The best players are going to play," Stoops said.
The Wildcats will practice in shorts the first two days, then two days of shells before donning full pads on Friday. After a break on Sunday, the UA will begin two-a-days at 7:45 a.m. and 6 p.m.
"We have a lot of work to do, we have a long way to go, we feel great about where we're heading," Stoops said.
Arizona will have another scrimmage Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at Arizona Stadium on Fan Appreciation Day. The season opens Sept. 4 against Northern Arizona University.