The University of Connecticut has taken home another title. This time not for athletics, but for the fans supporting.
USA Today ranked UConn has the number one school in the country for sports fans.
“Nah, nah, no surprise here, we’re built like that capital for basketball in the world," Giani Contrera said.
The publication sites the women’s basketball program's 11 championship titles, 111-game winning streak and the men’s two championships in the last decade as reasons for stellar fan support.
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Students say “Bleeding Blue” extends beyond the sporting events.
“I feel like the energy kind of carries even just walking to your classes," Ryan Chasanoff said.
The University Athletics office released a statement Wednesday saying, “We love our fans! UConn Nation continues to Bleed Blue and prove they truly are the best fans in the world. We are humbled by the support and looking forward to another great year of UConn athletics in 2023-24.”
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Students say while athletics weren’t the main reason they chose UConn, it was definitely in the back of their mind.
“It probably helped,” Julia Micha said. “I wanted to come to a school where there was something extra besides just school.”
"It definitely it weighed on me for sure, because academics are important, but you want a well-rounded school, and you have that environment and that’s why I feel like I grow a lot here," Contrera said.
Some even say a title like this boosts business.
“We’re used to people going out on Fridays, Saturdays but when we are playing a championship game on a Monday night they are going to come to Teds bar," Ryan Steinman, with the bar, said.
He said good athletics creates a buzz on campus and makes students excited to be a part of the culture.
Given the university's recent success, he isn't surprised the school would snag a crown like this one.
“To be honest with you I’m not surprised man, like its well deserved, the students that come here are die hard sports fans, they come here with a purpose, not just to get a good education but obviously to soak up all the great athletes that are presented on this campus," Steinman said.
