The Wildcats woke up in Tel Aviv on Wednesday and boarded the charter bus to head to Ben Gurion Airport to make history.

When Arizona and Kansas State got on their joint charter flight direct to Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., it marked the first time that U.S. college teams were going to be traveling to Abu Dhabi for an international tour. And the first person to step off that plane and onto U.A.E. soil was none other than University of Arizona President Dr. Robert Robbins.

The reason this flight was so impactful is because just three years ago, it was not possible to take a direct flight from Israel to Abu Dhabi. But when the Abraham Peace Accords were signed by Israel and the United Arab Emirates, it opened the door to full diplomatic relations and all types of interactions that had not been possible previously.

So for Athletes for Israel founder Daniel Posner, who was on the trip with UA and K-State on Wednesday, it held special meaning. He played a key role in making this Israel portion of the trip come to life and now he was part of this monumental flight.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism is the main supporter for the Abu Dhabi portion of the trip for the Wildcats, as they helped open a new door for where college basketball teams can go for an international tour.

After the three-hour flight, the Arizona group got settled into their rooms and their new surroundings. The players and staff then met to discuss more about what they had seen so far on the trip and what was to come.

Then it was back to basketball, as they traveled across the island for a 90-minute practice in preparation for Thursday's game against the UAE Select team. The game will start at 2:00 a.m. in Tucson/1:00 p.m. in Abu Dhabi at the Mubadala Dome and will be streamed live on YouTube.com/@ArizonaWildcats.

Please check @ArizonaMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook or online at arizonawildcats.com/SummerTour for the most up-to-date content from the trip.