I was just over at UConnHuskies.com and saw this. I can’t believe that the Pat Summitt doesn’t want to play us anymore. Is she scared because of the incoming recruiting class or something. I am just shocked. Maybe the players are a little happier about this.
“After sending a contract signed by the University of Connecticut to the University of Tennessee earlier this year for the next two games of our women’s basketball series (2007-08 and 2008-09), we were notified by their athletic administration that the Tennessee women’s basketball program would not be signing this contract and has made the decision to terminate the series between our institutions.
We are disappointed for UConn fans, Tennessee fans and women’s basketball fans in general who look forward to this annual event featuring the greatest women’s basketball rivalry in the nation, as recently selected by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
We are pleased to maintain our outstanding relationship with the Southeastern Conference as we will be playing two of their member institutions during each of the next two seasons. We have finalized a two-game extension with LSU, a 2007 NCAA Final Four participant. In addition, earlier this year we signed a two-year contract with South Carolina.â€
Hopefully, there will be more about this in the morning but Jim Calhoun, UCONN’s Men’s Basketball Coach said this on a TV broadcast here in Connecticut tonight.
“Tennessee and UConn clearly, clearly are the best two coaches in women’s college basketball and that is the best game every single year,” he said. “To give it up over some, I’m sure, small detail, is ridiculous. In my opinion, the game should be played every year.”
This is a huge shame. I actually got to attend my first UT-UConn game this year and it was an incredible atmosphere. Geno didn’t send a playful jab somewhere that was mistinterpreted did he?
Who knows if he did or not? I am going to follow up on this in the morning. Everything I could find tonight didn’t have any comments from either program.
According to what I found UT will not comment on their schedule until the end of July per SEC rules.
Yeah I just saw that as well. Hopefully Geno can comment about it.
Been trying to figure out why the site was getting an error. So I pulled the scoreboard off and also the blogtalk radio thing until I can talk to them at my hosting place.
Let’s not forget the Lady Vols have been everyone’s rivals over the years……………………….. La Tech, ODU, Stanford, UCONN, DUKE, not to mention their SEC foes that never come off the schedule.
While I agree it has been a good rivalry; over the history of the Tennessee program, the UCONN series will fall in place.
I will be interested to see why it was really canceled. I liked the idea of going back to 1 regular season game instead of 2 because I think that took from the rivalry.
Summitt cancelled the series because Tennessee believes UConn violated some NCAA rules in their recruitment of an incoming freshman. Tennessee has reported the violation to the NCAA. Truth, word, bond, fact. Whther UConn bent the rules or not, that’s why UT cancelled the series. And that’s why Auriemma is being quiet about the cancellation.
No matter what happens, as I just wrote in a post, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out with the recruitment of Elena DelleDonne.
That’s been a rumor for a while. I’ve also heard the NCAA doesn’t seem so interested in it. But we will see as it all plays out. I’m sure Geno as well as Pat and many others know how to dance around the rules.