Spring Break
Saying Goodbye To Storrs
Dan Olender
Issue date: 4/22/08 Section: Sports
While it feels like my four years at UConn went by much too quickly, those four years were packed with all kinds of memorable moments from the Husky sports teams.
Of course, my fellow seniors and I never did get to see one of the basketball teams hoist up a national championship trophy. But who could forget the image of Dan Orlovsky holding that Motor City Bowl trophy over his head back in 2004?
Alright, so it's not the same thing - at all - but there's no denying the seniors have gotten to see some good things happen here in Storrs, starting with the evolution of the football program. So when I started thinking about the past four years, I tried to think about the things I didn't like and what could be improved upon. The thing is, I couldn't really come up with too much.
As far as I can tell, the school has done a great job promoting and advancing the athletic programs. UConn is becoming more of a national program as the years go on. People recognize UConn basketball across the country like they recognize UNC or UCLA and slowly but surely, people now understand that UConn does in fact have a football team.
The football team is the best example of how the athletic department has done some great things. Rentschler Field is a good facility in a central location, and the on-campus training facility that opened last year is top-notch and will certainly help Randy Edsall bring in the players he needs to compete.
The only disappointing thing about the football program is that the stands at Rentschler Field were not as full as they should have been last year. The students came through and made the 30-minute trek to East Hartford, but too many seats were left open in the other sections. But as the football team becomes more of an institution in Connecticut, those seats will start to fill up.
Everyone knows UConn is the biggest thing sports-wise in this state and the school is starting to capitalize on that with extra coverage in the media. The Huskies All-Access show that debuted in the fall and this was a big step for the athletic department. Although I don't think even Jeff Hathaway knows when it's on TV, because I can never figure out when it's going to be on. But it's out there, and that's a start.
Of course, my fellow seniors and I never did get to see one of the basketball teams hoist up a national championship trophy. But who could forget the image of Dan Orlovsky holding that Motor City Bowl trophy over his head back in 2004?
Alright, so it's not the same thing - at all - but there's no denying the seniors have gotten to see some good things happen here in Storrs, starting with the evolution of the football program. So when I started thinking about the past four years, I tried to think about the things I didn't like and what could be improved upon. The thing is, I couldn't really come up with too much.
As far as I can tell, the school has done a great job promoting and advancing the athletic programs. UConn is becoming more of a national program as the years go on. People recognize UConn basketball across the country like they recognize UNC or UCLA and slowly but surely, people now understand that UConn does in fact have a football team.
The football team is the best example of how the athletic department has done some great things. Rentschler Field is a good facility in a central location, and the on-campus training facility that opened last year is top-notch and will certainly help Randy Edsall bring in the players he needs to compete.
The only disappointing thing about the football program is that the stands at Rentschler Field were not as full as they should have been last year. The students came through and made the 30-minute trek to East Hartford, but too many seats were left open in the other sections. But as the football team becomes more of an institution in Connecticut, those seats will start to fill up.
Everyone knows UConn is the biggest thing sports-wise in this state and the school is starting to capitalize on that with extra coverage in the media. The Huskies All-Access show that debuted in the fall and this was a big step for the athletic department. Although I don't think even Jeff Hathaway knows when it's on TV, because I can never figure out when it's going to be on. But it's out there, and that's a start.
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