Homecoming 2019 is right around the corner(Save the date for October 19!), and it’s bound to be the best one yet. We’ve got your tailgate covered—use this checklist to make sure you have all the essentials for a party that’ll get you hyped for the big game.
Get Your Game Ticket
That’s the whole reason we tailgate…right?
Round Up Your Fellow Huskies
You can’t have a party without your crew! Make sure the whole squad has cleared a spot in their calendars—they aren’t going to want to miss this.
Make a BombPlaylist
Pack it with songs that’ll hype you up as you get ready to watch the Huskies dominate the field!
Suit Up
It’s time to represent your best white and blue! Go all out and show the Huskies that #UConnNation runs deep.
Purchase Your Beverage of Choice
Make sure you have everything necessary to crack open a cold one. Coolers, ice, cups, koozies…you don’t want to forget any of this! Because beer (or wine, cider, the list goes on…) and tailgating go together like burgers and fries—which brings us to our next order of business…
Stock up on snacks
You know a few bags of chips won’t fuel you up enough to cheer on your team. Pack up the grill and get cooking! Don’t forget the gas, spatulas, plates, napkins, condiments, hamburgers, hot dogs, buns…how about those crockpot dips? Tailgate BBQ is the best BBQ...so you can’t skimp on this!
Does this sound like a lot of work? OK – we can simplify.
You can skip all these steps and just head to Husky Brews before the game. Enjoy a buffet from Bear’s BBQ, live music, and tastings from a variety of local breweries—some of which are owned and operated by UConn alumni—right at Rentschler Field. We’ve even got your ticket to the game! All you have to do is show up. Easy, right?
When UConn takes the field against defending national champs UCF in their season opener Aug. 30, Huskies fans can anticipate a heartfelt, musical tribute.
At halftime, the UConn Marching Band, 300 strong, will dominate the field with their brassy brilliance, wrapping up with Chicago’s show-stopping “25 or 6 to 4.” They’ve played it before, but this time they will be playing it to celebrate Alex Schachter and to raise money for the band scholarship in his name.
Alex was one of 17 students killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. on Feb. 14.
No one in the UConn band knew him. But Alex, a high school freshman who played trombone in the band, knew everything about UConn. It was his dream school.
When the UConn band heard his story, and learned about his love of music, his death became personal. Alex was real. Alex was them. “We were grieving the loss of who Alex might have become,” said David Mills, director of bands.
Mills wrote a letter to Alex’s family expressing the band’s condolences and their decision to make Alex an honorary member.
The letter inspired the Schachter family to create a marching band scholarship, named for Alex and the family, through the UConn Foundation. It will keep his memory alive through ongoing support of students who also love music.
Members of the family will be in the stands to enjoy the performance of Alex’s favorite song, and to encourage fans to help them reach their goal of creating an endowed scholarship.
On August 30, this is what the UCMB will do – they will honor Alex’s life at Rentschler Field. Please join Alex’s family, the UConn Marching Band and the rest of UConn Nation in supporting the Alex Schachter and Family Memorial Scholarship.
The UConn football team was honored by the American Football Coaches Association Academic Achievement Award program.
The program honors schools with outstanding graduation rates for football student-athletes, with this year’s awards measuring the freshman class of 2008. The Huskies were selected for graduating 75 percent or more of their student-athletes from that freshman class.
In addition to their academic success, the Huskies went from a 2-10 season to a bowl-eligible 6-6 season. They will play in the St. Petersburg Bowl on Dec. 26.
Noel Thomas flanked by Jim (left) and Marylee Oleksiw (right).
UConn’s prowess in the sporting world is well known. UConn Nation has come to expect—and receive—national championships in exchange for their loyalty and passion.
What sometimes gets lost in that effort, however, is that student-athletes are no different than “regular” students. The need for scholarship support to keep attracting these top students to UConn has never been higher.
As the cost of tuition continues to rise, private support is more essential than ever for the success of our 24 varsity sports and more than 700 student-athletes. And what also sometimes gets forgotten is that UConn student-athletes continue to excel: more than 50 percent earned a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
In the 2014-15 academic year, $12 million was paid by the Athletic Department in tuition costs, as 216 athletes received partial scholarships and 196 received full scholarships. That cost will be going up this year.
UConn’s championship success has been achieved in large part due to the continued generosity of donors, season ticket holders, alumni and friends who annually support UConn Athletics.
This year a new fundraising initiative, the “Drive for 5K,” is being launched with the goal of increasing the number of contributors from 4,400 to 5,000.
The “Drive for 5K” comes at the same time the UConn Foundation is in the midst of its Transform Lives fundraising initiative that aims to double the amount of financial support—including merit and need-based scholarships—that the Foundation raises for the benefit of the UConn student body.
There are tangible benefits to making a donation to UConn Athletics. A gift enrolls you in The UConn Club and provides priority seating and parking privileges at games, invitations to special events, tax benefits and other exclusive benefits associated with membership.
Numbers are great—but to put a face on one of the scholarship recipients, meet Noel Thomas, a junior wide receiver from Norwalk, Conn., who caught 26 passes, gained 305 yards and caught a team-high four touchdowns during the 2014 season.
Noel, a junior majoring in communications who says it’s his dream “to be a coach someday,” is this year’s recipient of the Oleksiw Family Football Scholarship.
“My family has one less thing to worry about” thanks to the scholarship, said Noel. “I have a lot of self-motivation to keep my grades up. Plus we have a good team of academic advisors to help us out.”
Time management, said Noel, is a challenge for student-athletes, especially during the time of year when the sport the athlete is playing is in season. “Studying—and playing—is a full-time commitment,” he said. “But it’s a commitment that I am more than willing to make.”
Noel’s scholarship donors, the Oleksiws, have a long history of contribution and service to the UConn Club and the UConn Division of Athletics.
Jim ’75 (ENG) and Marylee Oleksiw said they are thrilled to help pay for Noel’s education. “He and his teammates,” said Marylee, “are such an impressive group of young men. We are so happy to be able to help him, on and off the field.”
“We just wanted to do what we could to support the (football) program,” said Jim Oleksiw.
A native of Manchester, Conn., Jim was an engineering major at UConn and served as a resident assistant in Buckley Hall. Marylee is from a small town in Massachusetts and grew up watching sports as a cheerleader at her high school. Both of their children are also UConn graduates.
The Oleksiws are faithful followers of the Huskies both at home and on the road. They have attended all four of the men’s basketball team’s appearances in the Final Four and all five of UConn’s bowl games in football. They have also attended numerous women’s Final Fours and followed the Huskies to locations such as Hawaii and the Virgin Islands.
“Supporting UConn athletics is a family activity for us,” said Marylee. “When our kids were young coming to UConn sporting events was a big part of our lives.”
“And it still is,” added Jim.
If you have questions about the “Drive for 5K” or any other fundraising question, please call the UConn Athletic Development Office at (860) 486-3863 or email at [email protected].
Fans are known as the “12th man” at football games, but last week showed that there’s a strong “12th woman” presence for UConn, too.
UConn’s football program held its Second Annual Football 101 for Women clinic Friday night at the Burton Family Football Complex and Mark R. Shenkman Center. The event was a sellout for the second straight year, with over 200 participants.
Participants learned about offensive and defensive strategy, player training, and nutrition—and also got to try kicking, passing, catching and tackling.
Proceeds of the event benefited programs for women’s cancer prevention and treatment at UConn Health.
