UConn in the Final Four - Fond Memories

Hey gang, Mike here!

Sadly, it is my eighth and final semester as a Husky here in Storrs. It has been amazing four years and I cannot believe how quickly they flew by! I have a lot of reasons to be thankful for my UConn education which I can reflect on at a later date, but in this blog I want to talk about a part of student life that will be most memorable to me: being an avid UConn basketball fan.

I have been very lucky in my first three seasons the team has been in action in how successful they’ve been. UConn has been to four Final Fours since 1999 and has won three National Championships. Fortunately for me, UConn has been to a Final Four in both my freshman and junior years and my friends and I have attended both national semi-finals.

In my freshman year, my Dad and I drove out to Detroit, Michigan for the 2009 Final Four at Ford Field. We met up with several other friends who made the drive out there and had a fantastic time. Although we lost, just the experience of being at a Final Four, one of the premier annual sporting events in our country, was an unforgettable experience and I was so glad to have been able to spend it with my dad.

While I was interning in Senator Richard Blumenthal’s Washington office last season, the Huskies made yet another run to the Final Four to be played in Houston, Texas. Although I was the only intern in the office, they couldn’t let me miss another rare opportunity to attend so I flew out to Houston and met my friends at the Motel 6 where the six of us would crash for the next four nights. This time, as is well-documented, the Huskies would bring home their third National Championship behind the heroics of point guard Kemba Walker. I couldn’t believe that at 21-years-old I got to see my favorite team win a title in person in front of over 80,000 fans at Reliant Stadium. It was an experience I’ll never forget.

The 2011 Championship only got better when upon arriving back in Washington I was told I’d be one of two members of the Senator’s staff sent to watch the Huskies meet President Obama in the East Room of the White House! Being a Political Science major, I’d say that was the biggest highlight of my four years.

University of Connecticut athletics has made me very proud to be a Husky and has given me many thrills. Even if you aren’t an avid sports fan, I would encourage all to go to at least one basketball game at Gampel Pavilion or one football game at Rentschler Field as those chances to bond with friends and family in such a unique atmosphere are invaluable. I certainly feel like I’ve made the most of all that UConn athletics has had to offer me in my undergraduate career and I would strongly suggest that all other students do the same.