How did you become a huskie fan?

[oldude]

I grew up in CT and was a casual fan for many years. Like many UConn fans, my initial interest in WBB started with the 1995 championship team. But my diehard fandom really didn’t come along until the 2012-13 season, and was largely inspired by my mother.

Mom loved UConn WBB. She was part of a legion of older Italian-American women in CT that adored Geno Auriemma. She watched every UConn game, on the edge of her seat, until the Huskies got up by 20 pts or more, at which point she could relax.

Mom passed away in the fall of 2012 at the age of 88. From that point on, I began rooting for “mom’s team.” The Big 3’s 1st of four championships during the 2012-13 season was both thrilling and emotional. I have been a diehard UConn WBB fan ever since.

 

[hardcorehusky]

I worked ar WHUS starting in 1981 and we covered women's games. It was easy to root for any of the teams and even though the women weren't very good, I was hooked.

 

[oldude]

I went to the same High School as Tommy Penders. He was two years ahead of me. As a sophomore, he was starting point guard ( I don't think they called it that back then). The 64 -65 team went something like 25 and 2, made the NCAA tourney which only had 32 teams back then. Toby Kimball and Wes Bialosuknia were stars of the team. Then I went to UConn, as it was the only college I could afford. I think it was $1500 a semester back then. There were no Women's teams in any sports back then.

I’m an SHS grad myself. I went to school with Tom’s younger sister Kathy and played football on Jim Penders Field, which was named after Tom’s father, the longtime coach at SHS.

 

[HuskyNan]

Ditto, the hype over Tennessee, and that contest at Uconn. And the title game that the Huskies were supposed to lose, people standing along the road and on the overpasses to catch a glimpse of the team bus, for Connecticut's FIRST title in anything. Front page stuff then, and ever since. We were hooked.

Well, not quite….

National Championships

National Championships

uconnhuskies.com

 

[Husky fanatic]

Always the basketball fan I heard of this Epping,NH girl with a scholarship to UConn. Followed Kerry and got hooked on UConn women’s basketball. These days it’s the only basketball I watch until the NBA playoffs and men’s March Madness

 

[JeannoCT]

I grew up in CT and was a casual fan for many years. Like many UConn fans, my initial interest in WBB started with the 1995 championship team. But my diehard fandom really didn’t come along until the 2012-13 season, and was largely inspired by my mother.

Mom loved UConn WBB. She was part of a legion of older Italian-American women in CT that adored Geno Auriemma. She watched every UConn game, on the edge of her seat, until the Huskies got up by 20 pts or more, at which point she could relax.

Mom passed away in the fall of 2012 at the age of 88. From that point on, I began rooting for “mom’s team.” The Big 3’s 1st of four championships during the 2012-13 season was both thrilling and emotional. I have been a diehard UConn WBB fan ever since.

My parents, too, were big women's fans. Followed them thru CPTV, until they switched to SNY, which my mom couldn't get in Western Mass at the time. She was livid! God forbid you called her during the game - the conversation lasted about 15 seconds!

 

[maple]

I became a UConn fan when I was born in CT in '88. But my oldest memories are of going to a game in the 1993-1994 season, seeing UConn go to the '95 NC and win, and attending the first ever championship celebration parade. My parents and my grandparents were always UConn fans (in general, though specifically for MBB and WBB) so there was never a chance I would like anyone else! We never missed a WBB game on CPTV when I was a kid.

 

[dbmill]

I worked ar WHUS starting in 1981 and we covered women's games. It was easy to root for any of the teams and even though the women weren't very good, I was hooked.

I mentioned earlier that I first started going to UConn women's basketball games starting during the 1982-83 season while I was a graduate student at UConn. After we graduated, my wife and I consistently started going to the games again during the 1991-92 season. At the same time, if we couldn't make it to a game, we would listen to the women's games on WHUS. There were at least a couple seasons that WHUS carried every women's basketball game before the commercial stations started carrying their games.

While I was a student at UConn, I also got into the habit of listening to men's soccer on WHUS. At some point during the early to mid 2000's I got into the habit of listening to almost every UConn sporting event that WHUS carried if I had the time. For quite a while, WHUS carried a goodly number of UConn games in many different sports. It is where I first listened to Adam Giardino and Chris Jones broadcasting UConn games, including UConn baseball. I have to partly credit WHUS for my interest in UConn women's basketball, as they carried games when no commercial station was doing so. And WHUS is a big reason why I became such a fan of UConn baseball when I started listening to baseball games carried by WHUS around 2005 or so (a big credit to Giardino and Jones there, as they both helped increase the coverage of UConn baseball games on WHUS.

Sad to say, in the few years prior to the pandemic, WHUS did not carry as many games as they once did. That declined even further when the pandemic hit. It has gotten to the point where WHUS has not carried any UConn sporting events at all so far during the 2022-23 academic year. I was told in the fall that WHUS was looking at hiring a sports director for the station, but to this day they have not done so. To me this is a very sad state of affairs, to say the least.

 

[Oracle9]

It all started by accident in 2001. I mostly followed BE mens basketball with a little ACC thrown in because I love NC mbb too. Then I started hearing things about DT and wanted check this player out. I was hooked after that.

 

[Jokerman619]

Mainly because of this year. The way all plays for one. Just like all the other years in the past. They play the way the game should be. A team. Not a star. And thier Coaches. Live by the same rules. So I guess you could say I came to love this school, from all the amazing women, that has come through and leading the way for many more.

 

[CL82]

I became a UConn fan when I was a student there. I’ve posted about it a bunch of times, but, man, the old Field House rocked. People would file in and squeeze into the bleachers, then, when the seats were filled, people would fill in the aisles. When the stands were completely filled, people would sit on the floor in front of them one or two deep. Then every crevice in the building would get filled with people standing. As I’ve talked about how many occasions, it would get so loud that the dust would shake down from the rafters, and create a cloud around the lights at the top of the arena. It was an absolutely insane atmosphere.

This is a picture of the late Norman Bailey, who played for the men’s team and recently passed. I thought I would add it here because it shows what I was trying to explain about how densely people were packed in in the old Field House.

(And, yeah, Bailey had some hops didn’t he?)

 

[Blueconn]

9th gen Nutmegger born in ‘52. Grew up with the grownups talking UConn. Kimball and Bialosuknia sealed the deal for me.

 

[Blueconn]

This is a picture of the late Norman Bailey, who played for the men’s team and recently passed. I thought I would add it here because it shows what I was trying to explain about how densely people were packed in in the old Field House.

View attachment 83650

(And, yeah, Bailey had some hops didn’t he?)

Yes ! Norman was a shot machine. Can hear and feel the Field House rock.

 

[CL82]

9th gen Nutmegger born in ‘52. Grew up with the grownups talking UConn. Kimball and Bialosuknia sealed the deal for me.

Bothers me a little bit when people tell the narrative that Connecticut basketball didn’t exist before Jim Calhoun. Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful for Coach and he lifted the program to unimaginable heights, but the men’s team had a good fan base with great energy and love for the program before Jim got here.

Now, if you want to say that about Geno and Chris in the woman’s program, be my guest. It is 100% accurate.

 

[Zanzman]

This is a picture of the late Norman Bailey, who played for the men’s team and recently passed. I thought I would add it here because it shows what I was trying to explain about how densely people were packed in in the old Field House.

View attachment 83650

(And, yeah, Bailey had some hops didn’t he?)

RIP stormin Norman

 

[Jaml]

I am from Massachusetts and only attended colleges in MA...so never attended UConn. Like many here, caught a few games on tv during the Rebecca and Jen years and got hooked.

UConn and the New England Patriots are the only two teams in which I am actively a fan. I did like the Boston Bruins in the early '70s, but completely lost interest in hockey. Of course I was a huge Celtics fans when Larry Bird played, but not a fan of the NBA any more.

 

[JJTB]

Moved up to the Hartford area from New Haven in the late 50’s. Got hooked listening to WTIC and George Ehrlich doing the games. Great days…transistor under the pillow following the likes of Toby, Wes, Ed Slomcenski, Holowaty and my favorite, Spider Hesford. Played in high school with Melody, a wonderful playmaker. Season ticket holder from 1978 to 2018. Somehow the ticket office lost my account and I’ve never renewed.

 

[UcMiami]

Grew up as a faculty brat in Storrs and hung out on the campus in the 60's to watch free concerts and joined a 'sit-in' of the President's Office. Ran some laps at the old field house on the 'new' track, watch football games from the hill (apple orchard, now dorms and parking garage) and actually did some high school work in the first computer lab, punch cards, Fortran II and all. Did not actually follow college sports growing up - my team was the Celtics, but soon after Len Bias I sort of loss interest. My dad had some of the women's players in class and started watching them in the 1990s and when I would come for a visit we would watch together and I got hooked. 1995 was special and then when the TASSK force committed dad was so excited. Unfortunately he died that summer so I continue the tradition of watching whenever I could. The women's game continues to be played like those old 60s/70s Celtics games when the men had to rely on teamwork rather than extraordinary athleticism and I like that. And Geno is a brilliant coach who teaches a really lovely system and recruits fantastic women.

The advent of the CPTV streaming service was a godsend as I have been living all over the world so getting to see games was limited. I am back in Storrs now so all is good!

 

[Blueconn]

Bothers me a little bit when people tell the narrative that Connecticut basketball didn’t exist before Jim Calhoun. Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful for Coach and he lifted the program to unimaginable heights, but the men’s team had a good fan base with great energy and love for the program before Jim got here.

Now, if you want to say that about Geno and Chris in the woman’s program, be my guest. It is 100% accurate.

Could not agree more. The intensity was real and my memory is that every game was sold out. If you experienced those years then you weren’t shocked at how it felt when we got big-time. We knew how to cheer long before Gampel.

 

[Boreifs]

My daughter was a point guard who worshipped Jen Rizzotti. In watching the games with her, I saw women playing like the 1970 Knicks; I was hooked.
Incidentally, Nika is a modern version of UConn’s first great point guard. It brings back many precious memories.

 

[slug25]

While working on my PhD at UConn in the 70’s, I was Joe Morrone’s assistant on the soccer team. To pick up a few bucks I worked security for men’s bball in the field house. Once Geno came along I was in Maryland but my wife and I have followed the women loyally since the ‘94 team. We attended games at Georgetown, Villanova, Temple, Seton Hall and Maryland whenever possible. We even went to St Thomas for the holiday tournament one year.

 

[CL82]

While working on my PhD at UConn in the 70’s, I was Joe Morrone’s assistant on the soccer team. To pick up a few bucks I worked security for men’s bball in the field house. Once Geno came along I was in Maryland but my wife and I have followed the women loyally since the ‘94 team. We attended games at Georgetown, Villanova, Temple, Seton Hall and Maryland whenever possible. We even went to St Thomas for the holiday tournament one year.

People forget that Joe Marrone was UConn’s first superstar coach. Are running joke about what we were going do over the weekend was “watch the soccer team win, and the football team lose. I was there for the championship in 81. It was a crazy run and the stadium was packed for the games.

 

[Blueconn]

While working on my PhD at UConn in the 70’s, I was Joe Morrone’s assistant on the soccer team. To pick up a few bucks I worked security for men’s bball in the field house. Once Geno came along I was in Maryland but my wife and I have followed the women loyally since the ‘94 team. We attended games at Georgetown, Villanova, Temple, Seton Hall and Maryland whenever possible. We even went to St Thomas for the holiday tournament one year.

At same time Franz Innocent (All-American) and Len Santiris (sp) were leading the soccer team to big things. Great guys and it was just “the soccer field” with open bleachers…fabulous to be stomping in the cold and cheering on a late November morning. Every seat filled. After soccer we warmed up for an hour before heading to Memorial Stadium to see the football game. Every seat filled. Homecoming and UMass. We win (Yogi Berra there to see his kid play for UMass) and in the evening it was Judy Collins at Jorgensen. Every seat filled. And friends for life to share Storrs in the Fall. And we haven’t gotten to basketball season yet.

 

[Blueconn]

I had always been a Paige Bueckers fan in high school and decided to start following the college she played for too. Now I'm the whole team's fan, can confidently say I made the right decision!

Yay for you. Right decision. The whole team’s fan. Yes.

 

[Gabbyfan]

I was a fan of the men's team in the 1980's, but I became hooked on the women's team after watching the Martin Luther King day game against Tennessee in 1995. I remember hunting around for the Sports Illustrated edition with Jen Rizzotti on the cover when they won their first national championship. I still have the cover framed in my closet. I started going to games at Gambel and vividly remember the roar of the crowd even as the team entered the court for warm ups. It was an exciting time to be a fan.

 

[Majic Hands]

While channel surfing many years ago I happened to stop on a women's Basketball game.

To my surprise one team was playing and executing a beautiful game of basketball. The other team was playing "women's basketball".

From that point on when channel surfing I always looked for Connecticut.

A few years ago with advancements in technology I discovered I could watch the team on a more consistent basis. I even started manually adding game day and times in my appointment calendar so I could scheduled my clients around game times.

I think this is my third or fourth year that I have UConn's schedule URL linked to in my calendar. When UConn post their calendar it appears on mine. UConn makes changes, my calendar chang's. I now have streaming and other capabilities so I can record the games when I'm unable to schedule around game times.

January 2019 we attended our first game at the Yum Center in Louisville.

2022 I missed the Butler game at Hinkle Fieldhouse due to having covid. Attended the game this year.

Day before yesterday my granddaughter invited me to go to the DePaul vs UConn game in Chicago next month. 305 miles one way. . .

yep. I consider myself a fan.

 

[Larry 7237]

North Carolina game in 1994. Been following them since then. Got to see them whenever they came to South Florida to play.

 

[dbmill]

People forget that Joe Marrone was UConn’s first superstar coach. Are running joke about what we were going do over the weekend was “watch the soccer team win, and the football team lose. I was there for the championship in 81. It was a crazy run and the stadium was packed for the games.

No question Joe Morrone was UConn's first big superstar coach. He is someone who had a big aura around him. Not too many schools had soccer crowds at games like they did at Storrs at the time. I recall back in the 1970's and the early 1980's UConn more than once at the time was referred to as a soccer school. This despite the obvious popularity of the men's basketball team on campus. Men's basketball games at the old field house were certainly a packed event at the time as well, I certainly remember going to those games as a student at the time.

 

[dbmill]

Bothers me a little bit when people tell the narrative that Connecticut basketball didn’t exist before Jim Calhoun. Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful for Coach and he lifted the program to unimaginable heights, but the men’s team had a good fan base with great energy and love for the program before Jim got here.

Now, if you want to say that about Geno and Chris in the woman’s program, be my guest. It is 100% accurate.

I went to a number of UConn women's basketball home games in the early 1980's when I was a student at Storrs. Geno arrived on the scene the year after I graduated from grad school at UConn. The games were free at the time when I was at UConn, and for the most part it was a friends and family crowd at the games, and their were not too many people in the stands at all.

 

[dbmill]

Well, not quite….

National Championships

National Championships

uconnhuskies.com

Yes, in 1981, I recall sitting in my dorm room tuned into WHUS and listening to the UConn men's soccer game where they won the national championship that season. And a couple weeks earlier, as I have mentioned before on these threads, I remember walking past the old football stadium on the Storrs campus where UConn field hockey beat UMass for the national championship. I remember ending up watching a big chunk of that game up on the hill across the street from the stadium.