Grew up in CT but left when I joined the army in the mid-'80's Like many of my peers in the service, I rooted for my home state team. I'm not much of a sports fan outside of college hoops, so I obsess about UConn hoops from afar. Luckily, since I ended up in TX, I have been to the Final Fours here (and #6), but conversely, have never been to a game on campus.
Are you UConn basketball only fans or UConn fans.
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I go to maybe 2-3 basketball, hockey, and baseball games a year. I try to go to every football game, I enjoy the tailgating. Btw there is nothing like the 1st game of the season great weather summer time feeling still but you get that adrenaline rush to start the season. August 30th be there at the Rent, you don't have be a football fan to go or even be a sports fan it's something to do and it's cheap.
Football goes right into basketball season as it is.
Football goes right into basketball season as it is.
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RichZ
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I'm old. In my 80th year on the planet. And I used to watch a lot of other sports, but as I got older, I kind of lost interest in football, soccer, et al. For the last few decades, I've had no real interest in team sports other than Basketball, and I haven't watched an entire NBA game in years, although I do tune in to games with former Huskies on one or both rosters, but never watch all the way through. As far as non UConn MBB, I watch at least a few other big east games a year, and watch other national teams that we're likely to face in a tourney.
UConn men's games? I don't care if they're playing St. John's, Dook or Joe's College of the Performing Arts, I'll find it and watch it all the way through.
I do root for the women, and follow their success. The depth of my fandom of the women's team has varied some over the years. Currently I might watch maybe three or four games live in the regular season. I will watch most of their playoffs and NCAA tourney games though.
UConn men's games? I don't care if they're playing St. John's, Dook or Joe's College of the Performing Arts, I'll find it and watch it all the way through.
I do root for the women, and follow their success. The depth of my fandom of the women's team has varied some over the years. Currently I might watch maybe three or four games live in the regular season. I will watch most of their playoffs and NCAA tourney games though.
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RichZ
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It's a round thing with propeller blades that spin around and blow air at you.
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I said both men’s and women’s, but it’s a bit of a stretch on the women’s side. I’ll watch them if it’s a big game , but I do t know who the third string players are. I don’t think I’ve ever attended any other UConn sports than men’s hoops, apart from a football game long ago vs coast guard, when my uncle was their (CGA) running back.
If the other sports are on tv, I’ll watch for at least a bit, but - the other sports don’t bring me any excitement.
If the other sports are on tv, I’ll watch for at least a bit, but - the other sports don’t bring me any excitement.
Go to the first game August 30th it's a fun time, cheap tickets too.
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I’m a fan of all UConn sports and I have been since I was a kid 50 years ago. I also attended UConn.
My passion is with both basketball teams, football, Men’s hockey and baseball. I feel pain whenever any of them lose and have traveled out of state for at least one game for each team. I used to follow Men’s soccer as well when I lived in CT. Basically I bleed blue.
My passion is with both basketball teams, football, Men’s hockey and baseball. I feel pain whenever any of them lose and have traveled out of state for at least one game for each team. I used to follow Men’s soccer as well when I lived in CT. Basically I bleed blue.
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I think a lot of us became basketball fans well before the football program upgraded to FBS, which probably skews the results some. Also skewing the results is the fact that the football program's never really been competitive outside of maybe a four year stretch under Edsall. It would have been really interesting to see what the football fanbase could've been had it continued on that path, but unfortunately nine years in the Big East was not enough to make the program desirable to the power leagues.
I've never really followed women's basketball, but I'd imagine it's tough to be a die-hard fan of both with their seasons taking place concurrently. Same with hockey (which UConn is even newer to than football).
Sadly, I think the sustained basketball success has created the perception that we failed to build a representative football fanbase, when in reality we were undercut mid-stride. I can't tell you football definitely would have assembled a huge fanbase in that time (~2013-2024), but I can't tell you it failed, because it didn't. The sport failed the program. (If you want to see a program that has failed to achieve a following consistent with its opportunity, head to Chestnut Hill).
I've never really followed women's basketball, but I'd imagine it's tough to be a die-hard fan of both with their seasons taking place concurrently. Same with hockey (which UConn is even newer to than football).
Sadly, I think the sustained basketball success has created the perception that we failed to build a representative football fanbase, when in reality we were undercut mid-stride. I can't tell you football definitely would have assembled a huge fanbase in that time (~2013-2024), but I can't tell you it failed, because it didn't. The sport failed the program. (If you want to see a program that has failed to achieve a following consistent with its opportunity, head to Chestnut Hill).
Hathaway screwed the program over royally. With Edsall I always thought there was a ceiling there, Mora would've been the perfect coach to replace him after 2010.
Look at where UConn was when he took over and look at them now. He is building a culture in the portal NIL era. Skyler Bell turned down Michigan, Mel Brown turned down WVU. Joe Fagnano going into his 7th year is a great story, Cam Edwards and Victor Rosa CT kids. Matt Brock always gets me fired up to watch the defense.
I know we're all excited for basketball season so am I but people should be excited to watch our football team too and go to the Rent. Good weather for the most part and cheap tickets.
UConn got into the game late with D-1A football. They were never grandfathered into the gold ole boys club. It's why Calhoun, Geno and now Hurley are hated. Football is a whole different climb up the hill but one we should never ever waver from.
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HuskyHawk
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This is true for me. I did go to many games on campus in the 80s and we had some good teams and an exciting QB in Matt DeGenerro. We also won the NIT, which was huge.
On the football side, the failure to replace Edsall was a problem, but probably less of a problem than the Big East football conference dissolving. UConn fans just can't handle the feeling that they aren't playing with the "big boys". It even hurt basketball support pretty dramatically once the high of 2014 wore off, but the football support was more tenuous to begin with and was damaged much more. Replacing Miami, BC, Pitt and VT with ECU, Tulane and USF was utterly deflating. Like being moved to the JV team. Independence has been better. At least we can maintain some pride that way. Hockey is the obvious example, a nothing sport at UConn until we got into the best league in the country.
There's a whole scheduling argument on the football board and I think one of things it misses is that UConn fans aren't going to invest in the program if it isn't playing teams they see as legitimate big time teams. It's a delicate high wire act to win enough and schedule big enough at the same time.
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“Most definitely”
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The sport failed the program is an interesting way to take the blame off of just how disastrous every football decision UConn made was for over a decade. Even with the Big East crumbling there were all sorts of opportunities for UConn football to grow on what they had and instead it was self-inflicted wound upon self-inflicted wound.
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Nope.
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- Have tickets for Football and MBB.
- Follow WBB (watch all big games but don't have tickets).
- Have become a big fan of the Baseball team and watch more now that you can find the games online
- My son is a trainer for W Swim/Dive and W Rowing so I follow also.
- Also I'm a T&F/XC junkie so when UCONN has top performers I'm all in on that also.
- I also sponsored one of the foul poles at the Softball field - but I still haven't been up there for a game (my bad).
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So then you’re an all sports fan.
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The program did itself no favors with the hires it made following Edsall's departure, but that's besides the point. Every program makes bad hires. Recovering from them becomes much harder when the rest of your league takes its ball and goes home.
The PP hire was a disaster that brought all the program's momentum to a screeching halt at the worst possible time. The Diaco and Edsall 2.0 hires were influenced at least in part by the untenable arrangement that was the AAC. If you want to argue that we should have left sooner, you might have a case, but it would've been a gutsy move and I have a hard time holding it against them.
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men's hoops, football, baseball and since I left media really got into women's hoops.
I also think the women's game and talent is incredible and since NIL and transfer portal, the men's game has gotten so much better as we have moved away from one and dones.
I also think the women's game and talent is incredible and since NIL and transfer portal, the men's game has gotten so much better as we have moved away from one and dones.
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Nope.
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I want the other teams to do well. If they do, that's great. If they don't, I don't really bat an eye. When I was at UConn, I went to everything, and especially was into football since my neighbors were players and the team was always around. But I'm not much of a CFB fan so they just kinda faded in my mind.