How did you become a UConn fan?

[Steve UConn72]

My dad was a career army officer. He was from Connecticut and maintained his Connecticut residency throughout his service (1945-73). I had family in Connecticut (grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins) and decided to go to UConn from Virginia. I had to endure a 5-19 freshman season under Burr Carlson, but then Dee Rowe arrived and things slowly changed for the better. I've been a UConn fan (of all sports) ever since. I've never officially lived in Connecticut (other than those UConn years), but when games were carried on WTIC, I could usually pick them up at night in Virginia and later in Maine after moving here in 1985. Wish they were still on 1080, but I can get most of the men's and women's games (and football) on cable now.

 

[swami7774]

Growing up in bucolic Killingworth I used to see UConn highlights on Channel 3(George Ehrlich) and 8(Dick Galiette). Occasionally one of the stations would televise a game. The first game I really remember watching was the 1974 NIT game vs BC. We had a 17-point lead in the second half when Dee Rowe decided to take the air out of the ball. We lost. But I was hooked. Then I attended UConn during the early days of the Big East. Life was bliss.

 

[swami7774]

My father used to take me to games. Some of my earliest childhood memories are eating cracker jacks at the field house even though I had no idea about the game.

Been a fan ever since. Haven't seen a game in Storrs since the 70's, but have met up with my father to see them play in MSG, the Palestra in Philly and the Wells Fargo Center in Philly. Always good to see them beat Villanova.

There’s no venue on earth better for college hoops than the Palestra.

 

[JAdams4Reel]

my dad like 7 years ago during ollie era

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Fun to see the that many familiar handles and good number of others go back to the Toby & Wes years. I've just finished my 63rd season as a fan, growing out from weeknight trips to the Field House during elementary school years, and my first clock radio.

 

[JB75]

Vaguely remember earl kelley in mid 80s watching them always play the 8-9 game only to be slaughtered by gtown or Cuse following round of big east tourney . But deff remember walking to middle school day after NIT championship in 88 - everyone was talking about it and then the dream season of 89-90 had me hooked. That was incredible. What a year. The entire state was into it I remember running out to my front yard screaming after the Tate George shot. Then , of course the ray years and then the 99 title game was on a whole other level of sports memories.

 

[bugs]

It was around 1977 and PBS showed Uconn games. Tony Hanson and the team were amazing to watch. I never dreamed Uconn would become a national power let alone 6 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS! Yes that's right I watched them on Public Television. ESPN did not exist, and they were a great team in the Yankee Conference.

 

[WrenchFan69]

Born in 94. Dad would watch the games on TV growing up. Took me to my first game at Gampel in 03/04. Really fell in love in high school with Jerome Dyson and then Kemba. UConn was just about the best school I could get into, so when I got in it was an easy decision to attend. Worked for the athletic department before graduation. Now About to take off on a flight leaving Phoenix. I would say it’s going well.

 

[ninety-nine]

Born and raised in CT. My dad went to UConn in the 1950's, I went to UConn in the late 1980's and again in the early 1990's, still living in Connecticut... Husky through and through. Before I started at UConn, it almost seemed surreal that UConn was playing in the same conference as John Thompson's Hoyas, Carnessecca's Johnnies and plucky Villanova the giant-killer. They were on a different level than the local program playing in the Field House. How quickly that evolved once Calhoun got going!! I was on campus for the NIT title, going to the home games and celebrating at the Jungle when UConn won the crown. Then, in March of '90, I was with friends still living in the dorm the year after I graduated when UConn lost on Laettner's buzzer-beater. I remember our dejection walking around campus after the game, wondering if we'd ever come so close to a Final Four again.

(They would.)

 

[Henry]

I've been a fan since I was a grad student at UConn in the early 80s, pre-Calhoun and pre-Gampel. Eventually winning the NIT was huge, then the run we made in the Dream Season. We made sure our sons became fans of both the men's and women's teams and proud to say they still are in their 30s even though neither one has lived in CT for years.

 

[ColchVEGAS]

Born and raised in CT to a family of sports fanatics, so UConn fandom just came naturally. My first UConn memory is unfortunately Donyell missing the free throws against Florida when I was 8. When I started playing basketball, around that same time, I tried to model my game after Doron Sheffer.

 

[Doctor Hoop]

Didn't attend UConn, but grew up in West Hartford (HS in the 70's). Played a lot of basketball growing up and in HS, and used to listen to UConn games on a transistor radio that I bought with money from a paper route . They were "pro basketball" for me in Connecticut. I remember the recruiting battles for Chuck Aleksinas, Corny Thompson, Mike McKay, Earl Kelley, Chris Smith. Been following them ever since.

High point of the climb was when they hired Jim Calhoun from Northeastern, who was exactly the guy I hoped they'd get. Kind of knew they were on their way up when I saw how the defense became a major emphasis and when the recruiting turned national.

We were off to the races. It was only a matter of time under Calhoun.

 

[UConn3432]

Born on LI in 86. First time I watched Ray Allen play on tv in 93-94, I was hooked. My dad would tape games for me so I could watch and now he bleeds blue. Escaped a miserable fate of being a sad and pathetic St John's fan. Thank you Ray and dad!

 

[CL82]

Born and raised in Poughkeepsie NY. We had a player who went FDR high school in Hyde Park, NY. He played four years for UConn. He was my introduction to UConn basketball.

Wes Bialosounknia - The Poughkeepsie Popper. Since I played ball, a lot of us in the area followed his career. Papers were always keeping us informed. Followed him during his yearsd with Oakland in the ABA.

Jump ahead to the early 90's with the teams of Corney Thompson. Then the move to the Big East. Been a fan since those early years. The wife and I are also avid fans of the UConn women.

Our three sons are avid UConn fans. #2 son went to UCOnn as did his wife. And the 4 grandsons are definitely UConn fans. Got to raise them right!!

Nice post. Just one quibble:
Thompson was late 70s, early 80s.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

birth, alumnus father (undergrad + grad degrees); siblings & self also undergrad alumni

 

[DALTX]

On the day I moved on campus freshman year, I met my roommate who happened to be a walk-on for the team. They had a new coach that year, from Northeastern.

 

[UCFan1513]

Born in 1998 and raised in Tolland my whole life (town over from Storrs, exit 68)

Before the age of 10 or so I actually watched a lot of the women's games - my grandfather got me into it

My dad was an alum, but he wasn't much into basketball. Once I started playing ball, he took me to a game in '09/10 and I was hooked. Basically became a fanatic from that point onward.

Didn't go to UConn but still couldn't shake my fandom - running joke amongst my college friends was that I wouldn't shut up about UConn basketball

My favorite thing about being a fan of this team is the community, especially given where I grew up. I went to the games this past weekend with my best friend of 20 years, caught up with other old friends, and made new ones

 

[UconnFanInNYC]

The NIT champion. That was a big deal

Same. There was a radio show called Jack and Diane. I recall Jack saying UConn was the 65th best team. What’s the big deal?

 

[Huskyforlife]

Dad took me to games before I knew who I was. Most of my family and best friends went to UConn. My first memory of really identifying with the team was in 2011 by the end of Kembas run. Changed my life forever.

 

[Uconnfanatic]

My love of UConn basketball began in 1962 when I was 11 years old. I'd take the transistor radio to bed & listen to the games.Back then the names were Toby kimball & Danny Spider Hesford. Then we started hearing about these freshman led by Wes Bialsuknia & Tom Penders that could beat the varsity (freshman couldn't play varsity back then). Fell in love with that team, Bialasuknia, Penders, Holowaty, Ritter who joined Toby Kimball the next year. Been a huge fan ever since. What a grand ride it has been.

 

[Sphinx]

On a February night in 1954, I was a 15-yr-old surfing the radio when I heard George Ehrlich's voice calling the UConn game on WHAY New Britain. I became one of the legion of Connectict natives who became UConn fans solely through the medium of the radio. I lived and died with the team through ten seasons before I ever physically laid eyes on the team in 1964. There is no way people today can appreciate the massiveness of the radio audience that the voice of George Ehrlich built for UConn basketball in the 50's and 60's. It established the UConn brand upon which everything that followed was built.

 

[uconnric]

Remember listening to George Erlich broadcast the games from the field house. Saw Tony Kimball and Wes Bialosuknia play there as a kid. Later became an alum. Made the NIT when I was there, beat St. John’s but then lost to BC. Tony Hanson days with Dee Rowe as the coach

 

[TheRealKBuks]

I was 8 years old in 1996 watching the Big East championship with my Dad. When Ray Allen sank the game winner vs AI, I'll never forget my Dad jumping up and down on the couch shouting and celebrating and me running around the living room like a little maniac. Been hooked ever since.

 

[Sailor111]

I was born in Hartford and always have been a UCONN Basketball fan. Listening to the team in the mid-sixties and announcers George Erlich, Bob Steele....Arnold Dean...Coach Fred Shabel and that first amazing team that broke Bill Bradley's heart in the NCAA...Tody Kimball....Wonderful Wes, Tom Penders etc....I remember Bill Corley dropping 51 on somebody...perhaps NH? I went to the same High School as Cal Chapman....remember him scoring 30 and us almost upsetting the "Dream Team" from Hawaii....led by HPHS star Bob Nash...Tony Hanson, Corny Thompson/Mike McKay/Chuck Alexsinas...Uncle Cliff...Chris Smith, The Dove...so many stars after those first groups...Tate at the buzzer against Clemson, Donyell, Ray and the 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023 and our current heroes. I never imagined growing up in the sixties that we would come to dominate the way we do now....it's been an amazing ride as a UCONN fan for over sixty years. I feel very lucky to have witnessed so many magical minutes of basketball.