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Main Connecticut Huskies Athletics article: Connecticut Huskies

The Connecticut Huskies football team is a collegiate football team that competes in NCAA Division I-A and the Big East Conference. Connecticut first fielded a team in 1897, and participated in Division I-AA until 1999. The Huskies began their two-year Division I-A transistion period in 2000, and became a full-fledged Division I-A team in 2002. They began play in the Big East in 2004.

Team History

Early Years

Connecticut began playing football in 1896 when the school was known as Storrs Agricultural College, and the team was known as the "Aggies." It teamed up with the University of Massachusetts and University of Rhode Island to form the Athletic League of New England State Colleges for the purpose of scheduling football matchups between the schools. The first year was spent playing against local high schools and YMCA clubs. The following year provided their first competition against future rival Rhode Island, an opponent that would be played over 100 times.
Tragedy struck the team on September 20, 1919 when Gardner Dow died from brain injuries related to a flying tackle that he delivered in a game against New Hampshire. UConn would honor Dow by naming the athletic fields after him. These fields would be the home for most of the schools athletic teams.

Transition to Division I-A

In October of 1997, the University of Connecticut Board of Trustees endorsed the football team's plan to upgrade the program to Division I-A status.

Big East Play

Connecticut was originally scheduled to join the Big East as a football member in 2005. However, following the defection of Miami and Virginia Tech after the 2003 season, the Huskies entrance into the Big East was expedited by one year.
The Huskies played their first Big East conference game on September 17, 2004 when they dropped a 27-7 decision at Boston College. Their first Big East conference win came only 13 days later, when they defeated Pittsburgh 29-17. They completed their first season in the conference in 5th place with a record of 3-3. That year's overall record of 7-4 was enough to garner an invitation to the 2004 Motor City Bowl, the first Bowl invitation in the school's history.
The Huskies were hit hard by graduation and injuries in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. The 2007 season finished with the Huskies first ever Big East Conference football title, which they shared with West Virginia, and an invitation to the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

Bowl Game Appearances

v t e Big East Conference
Full members	Butler Bulldogs Creighton Bluejays DePaul Blue Demons Georgetown Hoyas Marquette Golden Eagles Providence Friars St. John's Red Storm Seton Hall Pirates UConn Huskies Villanova Wildcats Xavier Musketeers
Men's soccer associate	Akron Zips
Lacrosse associate	Denver Pioneers (men's & women's)
Field hockey associates	Liberty Lady Flames Old Dominion Monarchs Quinnipiac Bobcats Temple Owls
History	Big East Conference (1979–2013) 2010–13 Big East realignment

• Big East Conference
• UConn Huskies football
• University of Connecticut