University of Connecticut Athletics
Connecticut: The Football State
11/9/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
"Connecticut surely is a football state," says George Allis is a self described "dinosaur" of a fan from Westport. "Before the Ivy League schools downsized their football programs, it was common to see Yale Bowl sell out for every football game. We're talking 60-70,000 people gathered to watch a game. But for the past few decades, the state of Connecticut really hasn't had a history of a winning football team anywhere in the state. There wasn't a Division I-A team anywhere between New York and Boston. But that's changed now with UConn's entry into the big leagues. As the program gets better, you'll start seeing fans coming out of the woodwork."
Allis is not what you'd call a huge UConn football fan. Actually, he's more what you'd describe as a rabid fan. He has traveled to almost every single football game UConn has played for the past 50 years. This doesn't mean only their home games. It means every one of their road games too.
"When UConn was Division I-AA, this meant I was traveling a lot around New England. But now I'm going to be traveling lots of miles to see my team play," laughs Allis. "I've already been to Eastern Michigan and Akron and in a few years I should be going to Florida and Utah. It's a great way to see the country and enjoy some great football."
This may seem like a fanatical devotion to a team. But Allis' commitment is even more amazing once you discover that he never even attended UConn in the first place.
"Both my sister and brother are graduates of UConn and I also had lots of friends who went to the school so I guess that's why I started to become a fan," he says. "Plus I lived near Meriden in the 1950s and liked to watch the games in Storrs and of course the UConn/Yale game each year in New Haven. I was never a big fan of long vacations so I took lots of long weekends. Then, one day, I realized that I could take long weekends and see all the away games and that was that. I've been traveling ever since."
Rocco Murano of Brookfield agrees with Allis about the future prospects for UConn football. Murano is a former three-year letter winner, all-conference linebacker and 1952 co-captain of the UConn Football team.
"Just take a look around the state and you'll see there are a number of football hotspots," says Rocco Murano. "Wherever there is a successful football program in the state, you will find a fan base. Local high school teams in towns up and down the Naugatuck Valley, Stamford, Greenwich, New London, New Haven and Torrington have large crowds that turn out on Friday nights to watch the games. When you see UConn start to do well, which will happen, you will see its fan base increase. We have already seen the season ticket sales increase over the past few years and look at how many people attended this season's games. Most games were a sell out. Interest is building in the program."
Murano's association with UConn football didn't end after graduation. After two years in the military during the Korean conflict, he joined the board of directors of the newly formed UConn Club. At the time, the club was an independent organization that acted as a booster club for the athletic department. Murano ended up serving on the club's board for 36 years and was president for two terms. He also helped lead the effort to fold the club into the university in the late 1970s so that membership could grow and do even more for the school's athletic department.
"I originally decided to attend UConn because I wanted my family and friends to be able to watch me play football locally and at the same time take advantage of the opportunities to get a good education," he says. "But my attachment to the school became greater due to the friendships I established while attending UConn. I met my late wife while going to the school. We continued to attend UConn games for years because we loved the school, the relationships we developed and the programs we followed."
While Murano may not attend as many away games as Allis does, he has been a season ticket holder since coming back from the Korean conflict. And in 1994, he established an endowed scholarship for a football student-athlete after the tragic death of his wife in an accident.
"We had been thinking about doing something for the school, and specifically for the football program, for a while. After the accident, I realized that the scholarship was a perfect way to honor her memory," Murano says. "I believe wholeheartedly that the move to Division I-A was the right choice and I'm glad that the scholarship can help a young man get the chance to play at the highest level and attend such a quality school."
Both Allis and Murano know what it's like to be a UConn football fan over the past 45 years. It has meant their share of heartaches and celebrations. But when asked, they both agree on one of the highlights: UConn's first win over Yale in 1964.
"I had the opportunity to be in the locker room with the then UConn President Homer Babbidge, Jr. and Governor John Dempsey after the game to congratulate the kids on their victory," remembers Murano. "I turned to the two men and told them that these young men did more for the University that day than many had done in their lifetimes. Both agreed. That win was quite an accomplishment and a defining moment in the football program."
"That was a great moment," says Allis. "We had lost so many games to Yale and in 1964 we finally were able to beat them. I see that victory much like I see the move to Division I-A. Like now, people then wanted UConn to win right away. But it's a building process. The wins will come, but it will take time to create a team with the depth that's needed for constant success in I-A. Patience paid off in 1964 and will do so now. Just look at what's happened in some of the other men's and women's sports."
Murano and Allis agree that since the move to Division I-A, there has been an increased interest in the team. Ticket sales are up and sell-outs are regular occurrences at home games. More importantly, the media is showing more interest in the team.
"Even in Fairfield County, the papers and radio are covering the team, which is great," says Allis. "You have to realize that Connecticut is a small state and while some people think that Storrs is 500 miles away, the media is realizing that the entire state can support its flagship university. I think the construction of the stadium in East Hartford will help attract even more fans because East Hartford doesn't seem as far away as Storrs to those in the farther reaches of Connecticut."
"I think the saga over the stadium construction helped create a sense of interest about the team," says Murano. "Now I'm seeing more and more about the team on a regular basis because of expanded media coverage. Recently, I wrote a letter to the editor of my local paper and received a number of calls of support from other fans around the area. The fans are there, no question about it. The state just needed a college team to focus on and now it has one."
Now that UConn has gone I-A, what are Murano and Allis hoping for next? Is it a bowl victory or a national championship? Not surprisingly, these seasoned veterans are keeping their hopes more realistic, at least for the short-term future.
"None of UConn's other major sports teams were overnight successes. Eventually UConn will have the potential to be a national power, as long as the school keeps trying to build the team," says Murano. "I'm most looking forward to seeing the day when Connecticut is gripped with football fever in the fall. All the pieces are falling into place for that to happen. When the stadium is done and some of the big name schools come in, we're going to see more and more people get excited about the program. It's just going to take a few years."
"Marketing is so critical to the success of the program," says Allis. "I see excitement building in the state. The word is out that UConn is ready to play ball and wants to win. I'm really looking forward to that first sell-out home game in the new stadium. That will be a real treat for me."
