It doesn’t get much better than UConn Basketball for brand Connecticut
WITH BOTH TEAMS RANKED IN THE TOP 10 HEADED INTO THE NCAA TOURNAMENT ITS BEEN GREAT TO SEE STATEWIDE EXCITEMENT OVERCOMING BUDGET BATTLES AND NIL CHANGES
Image courtesy of The Vault CT
The University of Connecticut's basketball teams have once again made it to the NCAA tournament, and it seems pretty safe to say that the excitement is back across the state. The men's team is set to play their first game today, while the women's team is scheduled to take the court tomorrow. Both teams have faced their share of challenges in recent years, with the men’s team struggling to find their feet in post-Calhoun era, and the women’s team coming back down to earth after years and years of nearly guaranteed dominance and battling injuries to their NIL era stars.
Thanks to the new NIL (Name, Image, Likeness, ) rules, college athletes are now able to make money off their own likenesses and earn endorsements. This has created a seismic shift in the college sports landscape, and UConn's teams are no exception. The women’s team in particular, with Paige Bueckers often the subject of both major deals (StockX, Bose, Gatorade) and countless think-pieces about the new rules, has been an interesting reference point in this brave new world. Are we allowed to call them professional athletes out loud now? They’ve certainly been asked to be for a lot longer than these new rules have been in place. Surely with more money, there will be more problems but it seems likely the players won’t have to survive on bagels any longer if the money finds its way down the starting lineup to the bench.
Despite these changes, the excitement around UConn's basketball teams has become palpable again. Towards the end of the women’s dominance and with a struggling men’s team the brand and the excitement had certainly fallen off. But this year, with two strong teams, really finally post-pandemic, the fans are back. We’ve watched from the Caf as the sidewalk on Trumbull Street swells with fans packing the XL Center. The streets are talking again. It’s nice. Both the men and women are the only school in the country with both teams in the top 10 headed into the NCAA tournament.
The XL Center, the part time home of the Huskies, has been a point of contention between the University and the state administration this year. The University has been pushing back on the recently proposed budget, threatening to stay away from the XL center. Meanwhile advocates for improving the aging arena, which they argue are necessary to maintain facility and secure its future chose yesterday to announce a new $107M plan. The representatives from the state’s 169 precious towns have been hesitant to allocate the necessary funds for past plans to upgrade what many still call the Civic Center. Stadium/arena plans are rarely without controversy and for good reason, maybe even for especially in good reason in Hartford. But we all gotta admit that pretty much nothing unites the state like a packed XL Center.
Latest rendering of CRDA’s $107M proposed plan to upgrade the XL Center Image from SCI Architects
The UConn men's team has had a turbulent few years, but this year's team has shown resilience and determination, earning a spot in the tournament after a hard-fought regular season. It is impossible to know what will come, and we all are wishing someone will find Calhoun’s tournament-run recipe in a locker or equipment room in Storrs.
The women's team, meanwhile, has long been a dominant force in college basketball but has faced some setbacks with the previously mentioned injuries. Geno’s team is looking to recapture its dominance and prove that they are still one of the best teams in the country. We aren’t sure how many more years Geno will give us so let’s hope we are on the other side of this injury spell.
As we watch UConn's teams compete in this year’s March Madness, we can only wonder what the future holds for college athletics. Will we see more athletes turn pro early, bypassing college altogether? Will the distinction between amateur and professional sports become even more blurred?
The UConn basketball teams are not just any teams, they are a major part of the culture of the state. They have a dedicated fan base that spans generations and continues to grow. And as the teams continue to perform at a high level, they are bringing a renewed sense of excitement and pride to the state. In a state more often divided and segregated, it feels pretty good to be united about something to do with Connecticut again.
Go Huskies.
