Connecticut Huskies

Connecticut Huskies
University	University of Connecticut
Conference(s)	Big East Conference
NCAA	Division I FBS
Athletics director	Paul Pendergrast (interim)
Location	Storrs, CT
Varsity teams	20
Football stadium	Rentschler Field
Basketball arena	Gampel Pavilion
Baseball stadium	J. O. Christian Field
Soccer stadium	Morrone Stadium
Other arenas	XL Center
Mascot	Jonathan the Husky
Nickname	Huskies
Fight song	"UConn Husky"
Colors	National Flag Blue[1] and White
Homepage	UConnHuskies.com

The Connecticut Huskies, also known as the UConn Huskies, are the athletic teams of the University of Connecticut in the United States. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference for all sports except Men's Ice Hockey (Atlantic Hockey) and Women's Ice Hockey (Hockey East). The major sports at the university are football (played at Rentschler Field) and men's and women's basketball (played on-campus at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion and off-campus at the XL Center), although many of the other sports have large followings and a tradition of success.

Name

The university's teams are nicknamed "Huskies", a name adopted in 1934 after the school's name changed from Connecticut Agricultural College to Connecticut State College in 1933; before then, the teams were referred to as the Aggies.^[2] Though there is a homophonic relationship between "UConn" and the Yukon, where Huskies are native, the "Huskies" nickname predates the school's 1939 name change to the University of Connecticut; the first recorded use of "UConn" (as "U-Conn", both separately and with "Huskies") was later in 1939.^[3]

UConn's women's teams are not known as the "Lady Huskies," but simply as "UConn Huskies," the same as the men's team.

Leagues

UConn's teams participate in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big East Conference, except for hockey, which is not sponsored by the Big East. The men's hockey program competes in Atlantic Hockey and the women's hockey program is a member of Hockey East. There has been speculation that Connecticut will follow both Syracuse University and University of Pittsburgh and join the Atlantic Coast Conference.^[4]

Facilities

Gampel Pavilion: A prospective student tour group is shown the Women's Basketball championship banners

The most notable athletic facilities are:

• Harry A. Gampel Pavilion on the Storrs campus, the regular home for both men's and women's basketball
• XL Center in Hartford, the second home for both basketball teams
• Rentschler Field in East Hartford, home to the football team
• Joseph J. Morrone Stadium on the Storrs campus, the regular home for both men's and women's soccer and lacrosse.
• Burton Family Football Complex on the Storrs campus, "serves as the on-campus home of UConn football and complements Rentschler Field in East Hartford. Opened in 2006" (www.uconnhuskies.com)
• Mark R. Shenkman Training Center on the Storrs campus, adjacent to the Burton Family Football Complex "an 85,000-square-foot (7,900 m²) training complex, featuring a 120-yard long state-of-the-art FieldTurf playing surface, an 18,000-square-foot (1,700 m²) strength and conditioning area, and state-of-the-art video capabilities, the indoor training center provides UConn's football team with the most technologically advanced training equipment" (www.uconnhuskies.com). Also serves as a home to UConn Club and Intramural sports.

Reputation

Approximately 70% of all UConn student-athletes graduate from the university, and almost 50% maintain a 3.0 GPA. The women's lacrosse team had the second-highest team GPA in the country in 2004, and numerous UConn student-athletes, including former basketball star Emeka Okafor, have been named Academic All-Americans.

UConn is best known for having its men's and women's basketball teams consistently ranked in or near the top 10 in the nation in their respective divisions. The men's team (coached by Jim Calhoun) won the NCAA Div. I title in 1999, 2004, and 2011, and the women won in 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, and 2010, including undefeated seasons in 1995, 2002, 2009, and 2010. Kemba Walker, Emeka Okafor, Richard Hamilton, Ray Allen, Clifford Robinson, Ben Gordon, Caron Butler, Denham Brown, Charlie Villanueva, Kevin Ollie, Hilton Armstrong, Donyell Marshall, Marcus Williams, Rudy Gay, Josh Boone, Travis Knight, Jake Voskuhl, are among the list of professional basketball players to achieve success after attending UConn. As of 2009, UConn has officially become a Nike sponsored school, signing a 10-year, $46 million contract.

Basketball

Main articles: Connecticut Huskies men's basketball and Connecticut Huskies women's basketball

2010 NCAA National Champions Connecticut Huskies at the White House

Strong alumni, student, and fan support for UConn's men's basketball teams helped the Huskies' women's basketball program attract Geno Auriemma as head coach. Under the tutelage of Auriemma, UConn has become one of the few schools that consistently competes for the national title in women's basketball. The Huskies are also part of one of the fiercest rivalries in all of women's college sports. In the rivalry between UConn and the University of Tennessee, there is no love lost between Auriemma and Tennessee coach Pat Summitt. The two schools have faced each other seven times in the NCAA Tournament, and four times in the NCAA Championship Game. UConn leads 5–2 in those games including a 4–0 record in the finals. UConn leads the all-time series 13–8. Summitt ended the regular season series in the summer of 2007. It is unknown why the series was ended, but media outlets reported that Tennessee reported to the NCAA that UConn committed minor recruiting infractions with the recruitment of Maya Moore which included a tour of ESPN while Moore was a junior in high school. Rebecca Lobo, Jennifer Rizzotti, Svetlana Abrosimova, Shea Ralph, Nykesha Sales, Kelly Schumacher, Swin Cash, Kara Wolters, Tamika Raymond, Diana Taurasi, Asjha Jones, Sue Bird, Ann Strother, Barbara Turner, Jessica Moore, Ashley Battle, Barbara Turner, Ketia Swanier, Charde Houston, Tina Charles, Kalana Greene and Renee Montgomery are among the women's professional basketball players or WNBA draftees that attended UConn.

Sue Bird, on offense

In 2002, UConn became the only school ever to have 4 women drafted among the top 10 of the first round of the 2002 WNBA draft, with National Player of the Year Sue Bird drafted 1st, Swin Cash drafted 2nd, Asjha Jones drafted 4th, and Tamika Williams Raymond drafted 6th. The 5th starter on the UConn 2002 NCAA championship team was future No. 1 WNBA draft choice and future 2-time National Player of the Year Diana Taurasi. A total of 11 UConn alumnae play in the WNBA in the 2010 season.

In 2004, UConn became the second school ever, and the first in Division I, to win the men's NCAA National Championship and the women's basketball title in the same season. It was also the first school to ever have both teams ranked number 1 in the nation at the same time (during the 1994–95 season), and has also spent the most weeks by far with both teams holding the number one spot, with the Duke Blue Devils being the only other team ever to achieve the feat, for a short period during the 2003–2004 season.

In 2006, UConn became the third school ever to have 4 players drafted in Round 1 of the NBA Draft, and the first school ever to have 5 players selected in the two-round draft. In the first round, Rudy Gay, Hilton Armstrong, Marcus Williams and Josh Boone were selected. In the second round, Denham Brown was selected. It should also be noted that Rashad Anderson also entered the NBA draft and will play for a leading European professional team in the 2006–2007 season.

In 2008, freshman Maya Moore made history by being named Big East Player of the Year, the first time a freshman was so honored in either men's or women's basketball. She was named Big East Player of the Year again in 2009.^{[citation needed]}

UConn women entered the 2008–2009 season ranked No. 1 in all national polls. They finished the season ranked as No. 1 as well, winning the national championship, finishing the season with a perfect 39–0 record, while winning every game by 10 points or more(BB). At the end of the year, Maya Moore swept the National Player of the Year honors, receiving the Wooden, Wade and Naismith Awards, and she, Renee Montgomery and Tina Charles were named to various All-America teams. Coach Geno Auriemma received his record sixth recognition as the National Coach of the Year.

UConn women entered the 2009–2010 season ranked No. 1 in all the national polls, and remained ranked No. 1 every week for the entire season. They finished the season as the first back-to-back undefeated National Champions, beating No. 2 Stanford at the San Antonio Alamodome. UConn also set the national consecutive victory record at 78 when it won its 7th National Championship at the Alamodome.^[5]

UConn women entered the 2010–2011 season ranked No. 1 in all the national polls. On December 19, 2010, the UConn Huskies beat No. 10 ranked Ohio State at Madison Square Garden's annual Maggie Dixon Classic to tie the NCAA consecutive win streak to 88 games, and on December 21, 2010 they beat No. 20 ranked Florida State at the XL Center in Hartford to set a new NCAA consecutive win record at 89 games, the streak ended at 90 on December 30, 2010 with a 71–59 loss at Stanford.

Of the six times women's programs having perfect season and tournament records, UConn has accomplished the feat four times (and only team to do it in consecutive seasons).^{[citation needed]}

UConn is not only a pipeline to both the NBA and the WNBA, but to coaching ranks throughout the sport of basketball. UConn alumnae in the coaching ranks include head coaches Jennifer Rizzotti at University of Hartford, and Jamelle Elliott at the University of Cincinnati and assistant coaches Shea Ralph at UConn, Ann Strother at the University of Colorado, Stacy Hansmeyer at the University of Oklahoma. Mel Thomas is the Director of Basketball Operations at Florida Gulf Coast University. Tamika Williams Raymond is Head Coach of the national team of India^[6] and formerly Assistant Coach at Ohio State University and the University of Kansas.

Only six women in the history of women's basketball in America have attained the Triple Crown Plus One(an NCAA national championship, a WNBA Championship, a World Championship & an Olympic Gold Medal). Four of these women are UConn alumnae: Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Kara Wolters & Diana Taurasi.^{[citation needed]}

Soccer

Main article: Connecticut Huskies men's soccer

In addition to its basketball success, UConn is known for its championship soccer teams. The men's team has won two NCAA National Championships, in 1981 and 2000, and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America named the undefeated 1948 team the national champion. The 2000 team was known for its stellar depth on the bench including the likes of Garrett Grinsfelder, Michael Rueda, and Ryan Brown, who exuded the team's "never say die" attitude. The men's team won back to back Big East championships in (2004 and 2005) UConn also has the best average attendance in the nation for both men's and women's soccer. Major League Soccer players Maurizio Rocha, Chris Gbandi, Damani Ralph, Bobby Rhine, Julius James, Shavar Thomas, O'Brian White, Kwame Watson-Siriboe, Toni Ståhl, and Chukwudi Chijindu each attended UConn. A consistently competitive and frequent NCAA tournament team, the UConn women's soccer team advanced to the NCAA National Championship title games in 1984, 1990, 1997, and 2003, losing each time to the University of North Carolina.

Football

Main article: Connecticut Huskies football

UConn football moved up to Division I-A status in 2000, was included in official NCAA Division I-A statistics for the first time in 2002, and became a full Big East member in 2004. UConn has been recognized as having the fastest progression out of I-AA in NCAA history, as it was invited into a BCS conference only two years after becoming a full I-A member, was bowl-eligible in its first season in I-A, and was invited to a bowl game in its first season as a conference member. The Huskies defeated the University of Toledo in the 2004 Motor City Bowl by a score of 39–10, with quarterback Dan Orlovsky being named Most Valuable Player. In 2003, the team was also honored for being one of only 7 schools in the U.S. to graduate 80% or better of its members; it was the only public school on the list. In 2007, the Huskies had their best year as they went 9–3, finished 7–0 at home and earned a berth in the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl, where they were defeated by Wake Forest, 24–10. In 2008, the Huskies finished 7–5 and defeated Buffalo in the 2009 International Bowl in Toronto.

During the 2009–2010 football season, cornerback Jasper Howard was stabbed to death on campus after celebrating the win early that day against the Louisville Cardinals. UConn will honor Jasper for the remainder of 2009 and 2010, which would have been his Senior year. The Huskies would defeat SEC opponent South Carolina in the 2010 PapaJohns.com Bowl. The next year, Connecticut made its first major bowl by winning the Big East Conference and going to the 2011 Fiesta Bowl.

Baseball

The UConn baseball team is coached by Jim Penders^[7] and plays home games at J. O. Christian Field.^[8]

In 2010, the UConn baseball team set a program record for wins in a season with 48.^[9] This eclipsed the previous mark of 39.^[10] The team played as the No. 2 seed alongside No. 1 Florida State (ACC), No. 3 Oregon Pac 10), and No. 4 Central Connecticut State (NEC). The Huskies placed third in the regional with a 1–2 and played in front of 5,684 fans in their Friday opener against Oregon.^[11] The team finished the season ranked 23rd in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll and 28th in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll.^[10]

In the summer of 2010, Huskies George Springer and Matt Barnes were named to the Collegiate USA National Team.^[12] Also, four players were named to their respective collegiate summer league All-Star teams- John Sulzicki of the Butler BlueSox (Prospect League), Greg Nappo of the Haymarket Senators (Valley Baseball League), Billy Ferriter of the North Fork Ospreys (Hamptons Collegiate Baseball), and Michael Zaccardo of the Riverhead Tomcats (Hamptons Collegiate Baseball).^[13]

In 2011, UConn baseball was ranked 1st in the Big East Conference preseason poll. George Springer and Matt Barnes were named preseason Big East Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively. The team advanced to the first Super Regional in program history where they were eliminated by eventual champion South Carolina.^[14]

List of sports

Baseball

Playing Facility: J. O. Christian Field

Head Coach: Jim Penders

Most Victories: 48 in 2010

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 16

College World Series Appearances: 5: 1957, 1959, 1965, 1972, 1979

Super Regional Appearances: 2011

Last NCAA Appearance: 2011

Big East Tournament Championships: 2: 1990 & 1994

Big East Regular Season Championships: 1: 2011

All-Americans: 14

Olympians: 2

Players Drafted Or Signed: 119

Players

Charles Nagy

Walt Dropo

Pete Walker

Jason Grabowski

Bob Schaefer

Dan Iassogna

Jim Reynolds

Roberto Hernández

Jesse Carlson

Jeff Fulchino

Rajai Davis

Men's Basketball

Main article: Connecticut Huskies men's basketball

Playing Facilities: Harry A. Gampel Pavilion & XL Center

Head Coach: Jim Calhoun

Most Victories: 34 in 1999

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 28*

Last NCAA Appearance: 2011

National Championships: (3) 1999, 2004, & 2011

Final Fours: (4) 1999, 2004, 2009, 2011

Big East Regular Season Championships: (10) 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006

Big East Tournament Championships: (7) 1990, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2011

NIT Appearances: 11

NIT Championships: 1 1988

All-Americans: 13

Drafted Players: 33

Players Currently In The NBA: 13 (ranks tied for 1st amongst all colleges)

Basketball Hall Of Famers: 1 (coach Jim Calhoun)

*1996 tournament results vacated by NCAA

History and coaches

UConn Men's Basketball was once a regional power, winning 18 Yankee Conference championships between 1947 and 1975, including 12 by Hugh Greer. In 1979, UConn was one of the seven founding schools of the Big East Conference, which was created to focus on basketball. In the early days of the Big East, UConn struggled behind national powers Georgetown and Syracuse. Prior to the 1986–87 season UConn hired Jim Calhoun to be the program's new head coach, but the Huskies difficulties continued and they finished the season with a record of 9–19, their fifth straight losing season. But in 1988, the team showed significant improvement and gained a berth in the NIT. UConn went on a run in the tournament and defeated Ohio State 72–67 at Madison Square Garden to win the NIT, the school's first national basketball title.

The 1990 "Dream Season" would bring UConn basketball to the national stage. Led by Chris Smith, Nadav Henefeld and Tate George, UConn went from unranked in the preseason to winning the Big East Regular Season and Tournament Championships, both for the first time. 1990 also marked the opening of Gampel Pavilion, the program's new on-campus home. In the NCAA Tournament the Huskies garnered a No. 1 seed in the East Region, but trailed Clemson 70–69 with 1 second remaining in the Sweet 16. Scott Burrell's full-court pass found Tate George on the far baseline. George spun, fired, and hit a buzzer-beater that is known in Connecticut simply as "The Shot". They would be eliminated on a buzzer-beater 2 days later by Duke, losing in overtime 79–78.

UConn rose as a national program throughout the 1990s, winning five more Big East Regular Season and three more Big East Tournament Championships, but the Final Four still eluded Calhoun and the program until the 1999 NCAA Tournament. The Huskies were the top seed in the West region and a win over Gonzaga in the regional finals sent UConn to Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay for the Final Four. They defeated Ohio State 64–58 in the semi-final to face off against Duke in the final. Despite having been ranked No. 1 for half of the year, the Huskies entered the national championship game as 9-point underdogs. The game was tight throughout, and when the final buzzer sounded, UConn had defeated Duke 77–74.

The 1999 National Championship would not be the last. In 2004, the Huskies returned to the Final Four. Once again, they faced Duke, this time in the National Semifinal, and used a late run to beat the Blue Devils 79–78. Two nights later, led by Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor, UConn beat Georgia Tech 82–73 to win the championship.

In the 2009 NCAA Tournament, UConn was awarded the No. 1 seed in the West. Led by AJ Price, Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien, the Huskies reached the Final Four by defeating No. 16 seed Chatanooga in the 1st round, No. 9 seed Texas A&M in the 2nd round, No. 5 seed Purdue in the Sweet 16 and No. 3 seed Missouri in the Elite Eight. This marks the 3rd time in the programs history to reach the Final Four. In the 2 other occurrences, UConn also came out of the West region and won the national championship on both occasions.

Players

Richard "Rip" Hamilton 1996–99

Ray Allen 1993–96

Emeka Okafor 2001–04

Clifford Robinson 1985–89

Khalid El-Amin 1997–2000

Donyell Marshall 1991–94

Caron Butler 2000–02

Ben Gordon 2001–04

Jake Voskuhl 1996–2000

Josh Boone 2003–06

Hilton Armstrong 2002–2006

Scott Burrell 1989–93

Tate George 1986–90

Rudy Gay 2004–06

Travis Knight 1992–96

Donny Marshall 1991–95

Kevin Ollie 1991–95

Wes Bialosuknia 1964–67

Doron Sheffer 1993–96

Chris Smith 1988–92

Hasheem Thabeet, 2006–09

Charlie Villanueva 2003–05

Marcus Williams 2003–06

Kemba Walker 2008–11

Dom Perno 1961–64

Games

• February 27, 1954 – Worthy Patterson's buzzer-beater at Holy Cross gave UConn an upset of the then-powerhouse Crusaders, 78–77.
• March 14, 1964 – UConn upset Princeton and star forward Bill Bradley 52–50 in the Sweet 16 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The victory was sealed when Dom Perno stole the ball from Bradley with 19 seconds to play. Perno later becsme UConn's coach.
• February 28, 1970 – With 4 players unavailable, and a share of the Yankee Conference Regular-Season Championship on the line, UConn beat Rhode Island 35–32 at the UConn Field House, in what became known as "The Slowdown Game". Played before the shot clock-era, UConn dribbled endlessly for 38 minutes to make up for the limited roster and save energy.
• March 30, 1988 – UConn defeated Ohio State 72–67 at Madison Square Garden to win the NIT.
• January 27, 1990 – UConn beat No. 15 St. John's 72–58 in the first game at Gampel Pavilion.
• March 11, 1990 – UConn beat Syracuse 78–75 at Madison Square Garden to win its first Big East Tournament Championship.
• March 22, 1990 – Tate George hit "The Shot" to beat Clemson 71–70 in the 1990 Sweet 16 at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
• March 9, 1996 – With UConn trailing Georgetown, led by Allen Iverson, 74–63 with 4 minutes remaining, the Huskies closed the game with a 12–0 run and won the Big East Championship 75–74 on an off-balance floater from All-American Ray Allen at Madison Square Garden.
• March 29, 1999 – UConn won its first National Championship, defeating Duke 77–74 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
• April 5, 2004 – UConn won its second National Championship, defeating Georgia Tech 82–73 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
• March 12, 2009 – In the quarterfinals of the 2009 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament, UConn played a six-overtime game against Syracuse, the longest game in Big East history, and the second longest game in NCAA history. UConn never trailed in the first five overtime periods, but Syracuse won 127–117.
• March 28. 2009 – defeated Missouri 82–75 to win the Arizona Regional Final and advance to their third Final Four

Women's Basketball

Main article: Connecticut Huskies women's basketball

Playing Facility: Gampel Pavilion & XL Center

Head Coach: Geno Auriemma

Most Victories: 39 in 2002, 2009, 2010

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 23

Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2011

Undefeated Seasons: (4) 1995, 2002, 2009, 2010

National Championships: (7) 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010

Final Fours: (12) 1991, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

Big East Regular Season Championships: (18) 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

Big East Tournament Championships: (16) 1989, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

All-Americans: 11 (19 appearances), including Maya Moore, only the 2nd freshman nationally named an All-American

National Players Of The Year: 6

Drafted Players: 19

Players in the WNBA: 23 (present or former)

Basketball Hall Of Famers: 1 (Geno Auriemma)

Women's Basketball Hall of Famers: 2 (Auriemma and Rebecca Lobo)

Only Woman's basketball program to have had every game in a season televised, an annual feat since the 1994–1995 season.

Most consecutive victories in NCAA history, with 90 wins.

Players

• Sue Bird, now a member of the Seattle Storm
• Diana Taurasi, now a member of the Phoenix Mercury
• Svetlana Abrosimova, now a member of the Seattle Storm
• Ann Strother, formerly a member of the Atlanta Dream
• Nykesha Sales, retired from Connecticut Sun
• Rebecca Lobo, now works for ESPN
• Jamelle Elliott, now a Head Coach at University of Cincinnati
• Ashley Battle, formerly a member of the San Antonio Silver Stars
• Kelly Schumacher, formerly a member of the Detroit Shock
• Kara Wolters, now the color commentator for the Connecticut Huskies Radio Network
• Jennifer Rizzotti, now the Head Coach of the University of Hartford
• Shea Ralph, now an Assistant Coach for Geno Auriemma
• Swin Cash, now a member of the Seattle Storm
• Barbara Turner, now a member of Mersin Büyükşehir Belediyesi S.K. Women's Basketball
• Asjha Jones, now a member of the Connecticut Sun
• Tamika (Williams) Raymond, now Assistant Coach at Kansas University and Head Coach, national team of India^[6]
• Kerry Bascom
• Jessica Moore, now a member of the Los Angeles Sparks
• Ketia Swanier, now a member of the Phoenix Mercury
• Charde Houston, now a member of the Minnesota Lynx
• Mel Thomas Author of book, "Heart of a Husky" and Director of Basketball Operations at Florida Gulf Coast University
• Renee Montgomery, now a member of the Connecticut Sun
• Tina Charles, All American, 2010 Naismith National Player of the Year, now a member of the Connecticut Sun and WNBA's Rookie of the Year for 2010
• Maya Moore, All American, 2010 Wade Trophy National Player of the Year,now a member of the Minnesota Lynx
• Kalana Greene, All Big East, now a member of the New York Liberty.

Men's Cross Country/Track and Field

Head Coach: Greg Roy

Penn Relays Championship of America Titles: (1) 2000

Big East Indoor Track and Field Championships: (6) 1987, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009

Big East Outdoor Track and Field Championships: (2) 1982, 2002

Big East Relay Championships: 2

All-Americans: 32

Women's Cross Country/Track and Field

Head Coach: Bill Morgan

Olympians: 1 (In Women's Bobsled)

Big East Indoor Track and Field Championships: (2) 2008, 2009

Big East Outdoor Track and Field Championships: (1) 1995

NCAA All-Americans: 9

Field Hockey

Main article: Connecticut Huskies field hockey

Playing Facility: George J. Sherman Sports Complex

Head Coach: Nancy Stevens

Most Victories: 23 in 1999

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 19

National Championships: (2) 1981 & 1985

Final Fours: (10) 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2011

Big East Regular Season Championships: (12) 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011

Big East Tournament Championships: (11) 1992, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009

All-Americans: 46

Olympians: 2

Connecticut Huskies Football

Main Article Connecticut Huskies football

Playing Facility: Rentschler Field

Head Coach: Paul Pasqualoni^[15]

Most Victories: 10 in 1998

NCAA Appearances (I-AA): (1) 1998

Bowl Game Victories: 3

Bowl Game Appearances: 5

Last Bowl Game Appearance: 2011 Fiesta Bowl

Big East Championships: 2007 (shared with West Virginia), 2010 (shared with West Virginia and Pittsburgh)

First Team All-Americans: 9

Drafted Players: 14

Players Currently In The NFL: 6

All-Time NFL Players: 72

History and coaches

In the late 1990s, UConn decided to go from I-AA, where it had sporadic success, including making the 1998 I-AA playoffs, to I-A. UConn played as a I-A Independent from 1999 to 2003. During this time, the Huskies went from 2–9 to 9–3, and moved from Memorial Stadium to Rentschler Field. In 2004, the Huskies were admitted as full football members of the Big East, and went 3–3 in conference play, en route to a 7–4 regular-season record. The school made its first-ever appearance in a bowl game, winning the 2004 Motor City Bowl over Toledo by a score of 39–10. 2007 was a breakout year for the UConn Football team. They achieved a national ranking for the first time, becoming the second fastest team ever to attain a ranking after moving to division I-A, shared the Big East Championship with a 5–2 conference record, went 7–0 at home (only the second Big East team to ever do so), finished the season 9–3, and climbed as high as 13th in the BCS standings. The team was rewarded for their efforts with an invitation to the Meineke Car Care Bowl. In 2008 the Huskies earned their second-straight 7+ win season, and on January 3, 2009 in Toronto, Canada they made their school record, second-straight bowl appearance in the 2009 International Bowl, playing against the University of Buffalo. The Huskies struggled with turnovers, but managed a 38–20 win over the Bulls, behind RB Donald Brown's MVP performance. The win gave the Huskies their second Bowl Win in three attempts.

Players

Deon Anderson – currently on the Dallas Cowboys

Dan Orlovsky – currently on the Houston Texans

Alfred Fincher – formerly on the Washington Redskins

Tyvon Branch – currently on the Oakland Raiders

Donald Thomas – currently on the Miami Dolphins

Danny Lansanah – formerly on the Green Bay Packers

Tyler Lorenzen – member of the New Orleans Saints team that won Super Bowl XLIV

Donald Brown – currently on the Indianapolis Colts (First 1st-Round Draft Choice in UConn Football history)

Darius Butler – currently on the New England Patriots

William Beatty – currently on the New York Giants

Cody Brown – currently on the Arizona Cardinals

Julius Williams – currently on the Jacksonville Jaguars

Brian Kozlowski – free agent – former member of the NFL Giants ('93–'96), Falcons ('97–'03), and Redskins ('03–'07)

Nick Giaquinto – retired – member of the Washington Redskins team that won Super Bowl XVII

Former coaches/assistant coaches

Lou Holtz

Skip Holtz

Kirk Ferentz – also played as a linebacker at UConn

Norries Wilson

Steve Spagnuolo – defensive coordinator of the Super Bowl XLII Champion New York Giants

Men's Golf

Head Coach: Dave Pezzino

NCAA Appearances: (1) 1980

Big East Championships: (1) 1994

Men's Ice Hockey

Main article: Connecticut Huskies men's ice hockey

Playing Facility: Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum

Head Coach: Bruce Marshall

Most Wins at D-I: 20 in 1998–99

Most Wins Overall: 22 in 1991–92 (UConn played in Division III for men's ice hockey only until 1998–99)

MAAC Hockey League Championships: (1) 2000 (League is now known as Atlantic Hockey)

All-Americans: 9

Players

Todd Krygier

Women's Ice Hockey

Main article: Connecticut Huskies women's ice hockey

Playing Facility: Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum

Head Coach: Heather Linstad

Most Wins: 16 in 2004–05

Women's Lacrosse

Playing Facility: Sherman Sports Complex

Head Coach: Megan Cersosimo

Most Wins: 12 in 2005

ECAC Championships: (1) 2006

All-Americans: 2

Women's Rowing

Home Surface: Coventry Lake

Head Coach: Jennifer Sanford

Men's Soccer

Main article: Connecticut Huskies men's soccer

Playing Facility: Joseph J. Morrone Stadium

Head Coach: Ray Reid

Most Victories: 21 in 1980

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 28

Last NCAA Appearance: 2010

National Championships: (3) 1948, 1981, 2000

College Cups: (5) 1981, 1982, 1983, 1999, 2000

All-Americans: 33

National Players of the Year: 3

Big East Regular Season Championships: (11) 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009

Big East Tournament Championships: (7) 1983, 1984, 1989, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

MLS Draft Picks: 14

Players

O'Brian White

Damani Ralph

Joe Morrone, Jr.

Chris Gbandi

Dan Donigan

Julius James

Ryan Cordeiro

Bryheem Hancock

Mpho Moloi

Kevin Burns

Bonginkosi Macala

Women's Soccer

Playing Facility: Morrone Stadium

Head Coach: Len Tsantiris

Most Victories: 23 in 1997

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 28

Last NCAA Appearance: 2010

NCAA Championship Game Appearances: (4) 1984, 1990, 1997, 2003

College Cups: (7) 1982, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1994, 1997, 2003

All-Americans: 26 Players Awarded 44 Times

Big East Regular Season Championships: (8) 1995,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005

Big East Tournament Championships: (2) 2002, 2004

All-Big East Selections: 81

Players

Niki Cross

Kristen Graczyk

Mary-Frances Monroe

Sara Whalen

Stephanie Labbé

Meghan Schnur

Brittany Taylor (soccer)

Softball

Playing Facility: Connecticut Softball Stadium

Head Coach: Karen Mullins

Most Victories: 45 in 1993

Women's College World Series Appearances: (1) 1993

Big East Regular Season Championships: (6) 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997

Big East Tournament Championships: (7) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2001

All-Americans: 7

Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving

Playing Facility: Wolf-Zackin Natatorium

Head Coaches: Swimming – Bob Goldberg | Diving – John Bransfield

Big East Champions: 5

Olympians: 1

Men's Tennis

Playing Facility: UConn Tennis Courts

Head Coach: Glenn Marshall

Most Victories: 20 in 2000

Women's Tennis

Playing Facility: UConn Tennis Courts

Head Coach: Glenn Marshall

Most Victories: 14 in 2002

Women's Volleyball

Playing Facility: Gampel Pavilion

Head Coach: Holly Strauss

Most Victories: 35 in 1979

Big East Regular Season Championships: 2 1994 & 1998

National Championships

The University of Connecticut has won has won 14 national team championships all time. In addition, the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association (ISFA) named the 1948 men's soccer team national champions. The NCAA did not have a tournament for men's soccer until 1959.

   * Men's
         o Basketball - 1999, 2004, 2011
         o Soccer - 1948, 1981, 2000
         
   * Women's
         o Basketball - 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010
         o Field Hockey - 1981, 1985

Pageantry

Mascot: Jonathan the Husky

Marching Band: University of Connecticut Marching Band, known as "The Pride of Connecticut."

Additional Supporting Mascots: UConn Man (Blue & Gray suit) and America Man (American Flag suit)

Fight Songs: UConn Husky and Fight On Connecticut

References

1. ^ UConn Blue and White
2. ^ The UConn Story – History of the University of Connecticut
3. ^ A Piece of UConn History/UConn Husky Fight Song – April 5, 1999
4. ^ "UConn-Syracuse rivalry may be a factor in decision Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/ncaa/09/19/UConn-Syracuse.ap/index.html#ixzz1YQd9ASXJ". ESPN. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/ncaa/09/19/UConn-Syracuse.ap/index.html?sct=hp_t2_a10&eref=sihp. Retrieved September 19, 2011. 
5. ^ UConn vs. perfect teams of the past, ESPN.com
6. ^ ^{a b} "Tamika Raymond appointed to lead Indian Sr. Women's National Team". Basketball Federation of India. October 7, 2010. http://www.indiabasketball.org/newsdetails.php?id=257&news=Tamika%20Raymond%20appointed%20to%20lead%20Indian%20Sr.%20Women%27s%20National%20Team. Retrieved October 13, 2010. 
7. ^ "2011 UConn Huskies Baseball Roster". Archived from the original on 02–02–11. http://www.webcitation.org/5wDnpIzD6. Retrieved February 2, 2011. 
8. ^ "J.O. Christian Field (Stadium Road, Storrs campus)". Archived from the original on 02–02–11. http://www.webcitation.org/5wDoHFNSb. Retrieved February 2, 2011. 
9. ^ "UConn Ends Season with 4–3 Loss to Oregon: Nemeth, Olt conclude 2010 season as UConn record holders". June 6, 2010. Archived from the original on 02–02–11. http://www.webcitation.org/5wDoMWvt8. Retrieved February 2, 2011. 
10. ^ ^{a b} "Baseball Ranked No. 23 in Final USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches' Poll: Huskies No. 28 in final Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll". July 6, 2010. Archived from the original on 02–02–11. http://www.webcitation.org/5wDoWzXF7. Retrieved February 2, 2011. 
11. ^ Kenneth Best (June 7, 2010). "Best Season in UConn Baseball History Comes to an End". UConn Today. University of Connecticut. Archived from the original on 02–02–11. http://www.webcitation.org/5wDoidAnz. Retrieved February 2, 2011. 
12. ^ "Springer and Barnes Named to Collegiate USA National Team: Announcement made late Sunday evening". July 12, 2010. Archived from the original on 02–02–11. http://www.webcitation.org/5wDowvDyZ. Retrieved February 2, 2011. 
13. ^ "Four Huskies Make Summer League All-Star Rosters: Nappo is 4–0 in four starts in Valley League". July 8, 2010. Archived from the original on 02–02–11. http://www.webcitation.org/5wDp5GBWq. Retrieved February 2, 2011. 
14. ^ "Connecticut Chosen As 2011 Big East Baseball Favorite". January 4, 2011. Archived from the original on 02–02–11. http://www.webcitation.org/5wDpD94jP. Retrieved February 2, 2011. 
15. ^ "UConn hires Paul Pasqualoni". ESPN. Associated Press. January 13, 2011. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=6019525&campaign=rss&source=NCFHeadlines. Retrieved January 13, 2011. 

External links

• UConnHuskies.com
• UConn Marching Band website