In their second and final season under head coach Darrell Mudra, the Wildcats compiled an 8–3 record (5–1 against WAC opponents), finished in a tie for second place in the WAC, lost to Auburn in the Sun Bowl, and outscored their opponents, 186 to 149.
[4] [16] Prior to the matchup against Arizona State, Wildcat coach Mudra contacted the Sun Bowl committee about the possibility of having the winner of the Arizona–ASU game play in the bowl game.
Wyoming, the eventual WAC winner, had won the conference in the previous two seasons, but lost to Arizona in their head-to-head matchup in 1968 and defeated ASU.
As a result, Arizona had a slight better conference record that both Wyoming and ASU and Mudra issued an ultimatum to the Sun Bowl committee that Arizona would either be invited to play regardless of the result of the ASU game or not play a bowl at all.
The committee chose the Wildcats to appear in the bowl, much to the anger of ASU and their fans.