TAMPA, FL. – Call it a rivalry or just a special relationship. Either way, USF and UConn women’s basketball have forged a bond on the court thanks to their time as conference foes both in the Big East and the American.
- UConn is 30-0 all-time against USF in women's basketball
- UConn will leave American this summer for the Big East
- USF has been American Runner-Up four times
“Players want to play against the best and coaches are motivated for that as well,” said USF head coach Jose Fernandez.
“It’s good for us,” said UConn head coach Geno Aureimma. “They are a tough team to play. They make you grind it out. They make you play.”
For coaches Jose Fernandez and Geno Auriemma…the best part of these two teams playing…is the friendship they’ve created.
“He’s been so successful at building that program and he’s also been a mentor,” said Fernandez.
“We have become really, really great friends,” said Auriemma. “He’s done an amazing job here. I make fun of him because he goes over to Europe months on end. He has a leather briefcase filled with national letters of intent and he just hands them out.”
UConn is a national brand. So when the Huskies come to Tampa…it’s no surprise that UConn Blue shows up all over the Yuengling Center.
“We have a lot of Connecticut season ticket holders that come here and they live here and they cheer for us all year except that one game that we play Connecticut and they pull out their blue shirts from the trunk of their cars,” said Fernandez with a smile and a laugh.
But having those fans is what coach Auriemma sees as a way to build women’s basketball throughout the country.
“Next time the fans come back hopefully they’ll be USF fans or Oklahoma fans our wherever else we have been,” said Auriemma. “That is how the game grows. They came the first time to see us. But hopefully the second time, the third, fourth, fifth time its to come to see and support the home team.”
UConn will return to the Big East this summer, thus ending their reign over the American. But in leaving Geno Auriemma is excited for the conference’s future.
“Next year when we are not in it, I mean, you may not know who is going to win the league until the last day (of the regular season),” said Auriemma. “I think there was a party when they announced that we were leaving. I know people don’t want to admit it but I bet they were happy. I bet I get a bunch of gifts when the season is over.”
One person sad to see the Huskies leave is Jose Fernandez. Both coaches told Spectrum Sports that a future home-and-home series is in the works sometime in the next three to four seasons. Fernandez said the likely scenario is a trip to Storrs, CT and then the following season a UConn trip to Tampa. But nothing is official and there is no timetable for that deal to be announced.