Covering the UConn Women for a Night

In a rare quirk in the schedule, the UConn men and women played at Louisville on consecutive nights. Though they both stayed at the same hotel, the two teams passed like two ships in the night. The men’s awful loss Monday night was coming to a merciful end at about the same time the women were arriving in town at 9 p.m.

UConn athletic director Paul Pendergast, deputy athletic director Paul McCarthy were in town for both games, but otherwise, the twains never did meet.

Pendergast & Co. did get a tour of Louisville’s facilities – not just the impressive KFC Yum! Center but the school’s on-campus practice facilities. Every Louisville athletic team has its own separate practice facilities. All privately-funded, too.

Imagine that.

A couple of writers – yours truly and the J-I’s Neill Ostrout – did take in both games, however. Made sense for papers to have one writer do both games, rather than spend the money on plane tickets for two separate trips.

This is my first-ever UConn women’s game – not only covering, but even attending at all. Pretty good crowd here at the KFC Yum! Center (I believe they were expecting between 14-16,000 in the 22,000-seat arena).

Of course, anyone with tickets from last night’s men’s game got a free ticket to tonight’s women’s game. And there were numerous $2 tickets sold, as well.