Establish UConn athletics as a source of pride for University students, faculty and staff, donors, alumni, Connecticut residents and Husky fans nationally.
Support academic achievement of student-athletes.
Provide facilities and services to permit student-athletes to compete successfully at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics.
Extend statewide access to University of Connecticut athletic events.
Increase private support for University of Connecticut athletics while supporting and enhancing meticulous oversight of Division of Athletics budgets.
Recruit outstanding students who will compete successfully in their particular field of competition and excel in their academic coursework.
Employ and retain outstanding professionals, including coaches and support staff, with records of achievement. Build a premier collegiate football stadium within state's center.
Build a premier collegiate football stadium within state's center.
Hire a widely endorsed athletic director to support and enhance effective leadership and efficient fiscal management of UConn's Division of Athletics.
The remarkable work ethic demonstrated by the University's student-athl etes has generated respect nationwide. Three UConn student-athletes were honored as Academic All-Americans, including men's basketball standout Emeka Okafor, women's soccer player Kate Foley and Mike Deibler from the men's track and field squad. UConn was honored as one of seven Division I-A football programs - and the lone public university - to achieve a 90% or better graduation rate while the women's lacrosse team was recognized for having the second-highest team grade point average in the nation.
Since 1990, UConn's teams have won 37 Big East regular season championships and 33 tournament championships, appeared in 60 NCAA tournaments and 15 Final Fours and won six national championships. The legendary UConn women's basketball program won back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003. The team set a new record for the longest winning streak (70 games) in NCAA Division I-A women's collegiate basketball while achieving unprecedented statewide and national television ratings. This success, coupled with nationally recognized performance in Title IX implementation, has given rise to UConn's reputation as a leader in gender equity in athletics.
Game day for UConn football at the new $91 million Rentschler Field in East Hartford has already become a unifying event for the University and Husky fans statewide. Men's and women's basketball games played on campus in Storrs and in Hartford routinely sell out while pep rallies and parades following national championships draw fans from across Connecticut. Championships bring national visibility, heightening school spirit and creating a fertile environment for undergraduate recruitment and development.
Contributions to the Division of Athletics have more than doubled since 1999 and now total $19.8 million annually. The department of athletics, which supports 24 competitive teams and a vigorous recreational services program, is 74% self-sufficient. The enhancement of a comprehensive and multifaceted athletics program will continue under the leadership of the University's new athletic director, Jeffrey Hathaway.