Pima football hits the practice field on Wednesday, preparing for what will be the program's final season.
"It was a distraction in the beginning when all this was going on," said head coach Jim Monaco, referring to the college's decision in June to terminate the program. "There is nothing we can do but move forward."
The college is eliminating football citing its cost, and the earlier decision by the Maricopa County schools to cancel football, making scheduling more difficult.
"There is a little bit of added motivation," added Monaco. "We're excited for the season."
Monaco says the team didn't lose one player due to fact there will be no football in 2019. The Aztecs are lead on defense by Tony Fair, a 330 pound defensive tackle who has committed to the University of Nebraska.
"We want to send coach Monaco out with a bang," said Fair. "We want to perform at the best of our abilities so he looks good, and we also look good."
Pima starts is season September 1st at Eastern Arizona. The home finale is on October 27th, also against Eastern Arizona. The program's final game will be on November 10th at Arizona Western College.
