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It’s one of the best times of the year. Even in the program’s darkest days, there was always a sense of excitement, anticipation and optimism on the eve of camp. That was especially true Tuesday, with the UA program on a clear ascent.

Most of the conversation was about the 2023 Wildcats and the bright future of UA football. It was also about the future of UA football — and every other sport the school plays — in a broader sense.

Conference realignment — specifically Arizona’s role in it — came up much more than I expected. Admittedly, once Fisch addressed it, unprompted, the floodgates opened for follow-ups. So it was our doing, to a degree.

But with rumors swirling about Arizona, and the Arizona Board of Regents scheduling an impromptu meeting Tuesday afternoon — there are no coincidences, folks — the subject felt inescapable, like traffic in Los Angeles or summer heat in Southern Arizona.

As much as we all want to move on to football, and only football, we can’t just yet. We have to figure something out first:

Where will the Wildcats be playing in 2024 and beyond?

Fisch reiterated his confidence in Arizona’s position. It’s good to be wanted, and the UA appears to be atop Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark’s hit list. The Wildcats, , are Brett the Barbarian’s next conquest after his plundering of Colorado.

Whether it’s leaving for the Big 12 or remaining in what’s left of the Pac-12, Fisch said “it’s going to be a matter of the University of Arizona to decide what’s best for Arizona.”

He was then asked what the best outcome would be. The first thing he mentioned was “stability,” one of the big buzzwords that came out of Colorado’s camp after the Buffaloes bolted for the Big 12’s bucks and branding.

“So whatever we end up doing,” Fisch said, “I would imagine that that decision by our president is going to be solely based upon the stability of wherever we land; the conference that we land upon; and the financial benefit of the multimedia rights of that conference.”

He added: “Athletics are very expensive, and to run sports programs is very expensive. ... So clearly the multimedia rights aspect of this decision is going to be critical to the success of Arizona Athletics in the future.”

Was Fisch trying to tell us something? Maybe. It’s no mystery that money rules college sports. It’s the primary reason USC and UCLA fled for the Big Ten. It’s one of the main reasons Colorado followed them out the door.

With a move to the Big 12, Arizona reportedly would receive — plus the exposure those networks provide, which is still substantial, even in a cord-cutting world.

The proposal presented by Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff on Tuesday purportedly centered around a streaming deal with Apple TV+ that offers more potential revenue but significantly less certainty.

Some view this choice as no choice at all: Take the Big 12’s guaranteed money and run. I’ve been on that bandwagon since last summer — not because I prefer Stillwater to Seattle but because the dissolution of the Pac-12 seems inevitable.

There’s a potential roadblock on the way to Waco, however: What if Arizona has to break up with ASU? What if the Wildcats are the only ones willing to jump?

A handful of media pundits say they’d be OK with that scenario; I can’t imagine many fans would be.

I know Chuck Cecil wouldn’t like it. That’s because I asked him.

Before you read the UA legend and current assistant coach’s comments, bear in mind: He despises the “School Up North.” When I mentioned that the UA and ASU conceivably could split, Cecil interjected: “Who? The Scummies?”

Yes, them. I continued: Could you imagine a world in which you didn’t play them every year?

“That would be disappointing,” Cecil said. “The rivalry is legit. It’s real. It’s healthy to the point of almost being unhealthy — unhealthy for me.

“I think it’s beneficial to football, having teams that don’t like each other.”

If someone wearing maroon and gold had happened by at that moment, I’m pretty sure Cecil would have leapt from his chair and tackled them.

Later, one of Cecil’s players, Gunner Maldonado, sat at the very same table inside the Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center. Maldonado’s overall stance on conference realignment was basically whatevs.

“It’s weird, but at the same time nowadays, it’s like man, whatever happens, happens,” Maldonado said. “Football is football. Whatever channel you’re playing on is whatever channel you’re playing on. ...

“Go somewhere where you want to play football, you like the school, you like the players that are there, you like the coaches. Big 12, Pac-12, Big Ten, SEC, it’s like, whatever, man.”

Then I brought up the possible demise of the UA-ASU rivalry. Maldonado is from Chandler.

“No, no, no,” he said. “That would be no bueno.”

Maldonado and Cecil both suggested a compromise: Even if they were to leave the Sun Devils behind, the Wildcats should still play them in a non-conference game.

“As long as we get to play that last game, that’s all that matters,” Maldonado said. “If that changes, then that’s a problem.”

It’s way easier said than done. . They haven’t played each other since the Aggies left the Big 12 for the SEC over a decade ago.

With the Longhorns set to make that same change, their rivalry will resume in 2024. But, generally speaking, divorced couples aren’t itching to hang out.

Arizona’s move to the Big 12 might be unavoidable, just like the chatter about it at UA media day.

Know this, though: If the Wildcats go, someone will have to pry the Territorial Cup from Chuck Cecil’s cold, dead hands.