Here is a press release from the UConn Huskies athletic department concerning a partnership between the school and AT&T:

STORRS, Conn. (Oct. 1, 2008) — Want a game-day reminder or a free ticket offer from your favorite team? AT&T Inc. and the University of Connecticut have announced the launch of an integrated wireless and texting program to keep Huskies fans further connected to their favorite UConn sports teams whether they’re at the game or on the go.

Fans can now text Huskies to 72645 to receive text alerts with game day reminders and the latest team statistics, updates and news for UConn football, basketball, and several other sports. The alerts will also direct consumers to a UConn-specific portal where they can find information and content from their favorite team. Standard text message rates apply.

At football games at Rentschler Field this season, fans are able to test their UConn knowledge and wirelessly participate in polls, as well as vote for in game entertainment.

“We’re thrilled to give Huskies fans more ways to stay connected to their favorite team,” said Tim McGhee, Director, AT&T Corporate Sponsorships. “This is a great way to showcase AT&T mobile technology and our support for UConn Athletics.”

The University of Connecticut is one of 22 collegiate athletic programs nationwide to participate in AT&T’s integrated wireless and texting program, which is one the largest wireless collegiate programs of its kind. It’s also one of the first wireless programs to enable collegiate sports teams to use texting to deliver in-game activities, news alerts and content to wireless handsets, enhancing the fan experience and allowing teams to connect more effectively with their fans across the country.

The integrated wireless and texting program is an important part of AT&T’s mission to connect people with their world, everywhere they live and work, and do it better than anyone else.

Terry Francona and the brain trust have decided on the 25 players that they hope will beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in their best-of-5 American League Division Series:

PITCHERS (10): Josh Beckett, Paul Byrd, Manny Delcarmen, Jon Lester, Javier Lopez, Justin Masterson, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hideki Okajima, Jonathan Papelbon, Tim Wakefield.

CATCHERS (3): Kevin Cash, David Ross, Jason Varitek.

INFIELDERS (7): Sean Casey, Alex Cora, Mike Lowell, Jed Lowrie, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis.

OUTFIELDERS (5): Jason Bay, Coco Crisp, J.D. Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mark Kotsay.

The UConn Huskies athletic department just sent out a release wanting to the let the public know that the Big East Football matchups against the Cincinnati Bearcats on October 25th and the West Virginia Mountaineers on November 1st are sold out.

The only UConn home game with tickets available is the game against Pittsburgh on December 6th. Tickets for that game can be purchased at the Online Ticketing Center at UConnHuskies.com, in person at the UConn Athletic Ticket Office in Storrs or any TicketMaster outlet or by calling 860-525-4500 or 203-624-0033.

As per the norm, the Daily Roundup will take the day off on Thursday with football news before the game preview goes up on Friday.

UConn Huskies head football coach Randy Edsall was quite annoyed when a reporter asked him why Zach Frazer wouldn’t be available to the media.

About 1/2 way down in a post by Neill Ostrout of the Connecticut Post, he gives us his thoughts on why he doesn’t think Edsall’s decision makes sense.

Jeff Jacobs of the Hartford Courant also pens a column about the Frazer situation.

The Huskies have all the trust in the world with Frazer at the helm.

Darius Butler showed up at yesterday’s press conference wearing Frazer’s No. 10.

Desmond Conner of the Hartford Courant lets us know that the UConn cheerleaders will finally be traveling to an away game.

The UConn defense is keeping the numbers in perspective.

Desi Cullen has been showing some maturity this season.

Brian Bennett of ESPN.com is afraid Rob Lunn might take his job.

Bennett also wants to know why Donald Brown isn’t getting any Heisman Trophy hype while Javon Ringer of Michigan State is.

And Bennett also has a look at the internal affairs of the Big East teams including UConn.

UConn men’s basketball freshman Nate Miles was in court on Tuesday and his case continued until November 25th. He has a protective order issued against him and will also have to undergo counseling. Miles also goes in front of the UConn review board on Thursday.

David Borges of the New Haven Register has details the restraining order that was taken out against Miles.

Former Husky Marcus Williams is looking forward to having a chance to start for the Golden State Warriors.

David Gillett has a video of Ray Allen.

just when you thought you’d heard the last of former women’s basketball recruit Elena DelleDonne, John Altavilla of the Hartford Courant tells us that she’s been named the Colonial Athletic Association’s Volleyball Rookie of the Week for the second straight week.

Altavilla also lets us know that UConn women’s basketball recruit Samarie Walker has UConn at the top of her list.

Caroline Doty has put her ACL injury from high school out of her thoughts.

The playoffs are now upon us as the Boston Red Sox get ready to take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim tonight in the ALDS for the right to go the ALCS. For us on the east coast it means another late night of watching baseball and a Thursday morning where offices will be less productive and smelling of Dunkin Donuts coffee.

The biggest questions entering yesterday’s workout for the Red Sox were the health of Josh Beckett, J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell. The news is encouraging about all three.

Beckett threw 30 pitches from 60 feet, 20 pitches from 90 feet and then threw again from 60 feet for a unknown number of pitchers. This is what Terry Francona had to offer up about Beckett:

“The ball came out of his hand real well, everything was very encouraging,” Francona said. “He’ll long-toss [today] and throw a side Thursday. Everything was real positive

Drew had an impressive batting practice session and said he’s ready to go:

“In my mind, yes,” Drew said. “Everything else is up to Tito, but if he needs me in there, 100 percent, unless something crazy happens today.”

Before the workout Lowell spoke with reporters about the his ailing hip and after the workout said he felt good.

“If I don’t test it, I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t want to try to go after the ball any differently than I would during the game. I think you’re almost trying to trick yourself into thinking you’re ready. The writing will be on the wall. I’ll either keel over because it hurts or I won’t. I don’t think there’s going to be any mystery.”

“I think I’ll know pretty quickly. Moving left and right was what bothered me before. We purposely haven’t made those movements (in the last few days) because there’s no reason to re-aggravate it. Where we were in the season, we could take things slow, so we did it that way.”

On how he feels now: “I feel great just walking around and sitting, there’s really nothing,” he said. “The action of swinging has never really caused pain.”

How he approaches playing through pain in the postseason: “I think you’ve just kind of got to (man) up and go…Playing Wiffle Ball growing up, I never said, ‘Hey–this is a meaningless game in June. You always put yourself in the postseason.”

Links from the assembled media after the jump.

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The team played better down the stretch with another solid month in September that saw them clinch the American League Wild Card berth and earn a spot in the post season for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Since the inception of the Wild Card in the mid 1990’s no other team in baseball has earned the wild card berth more than the Boston Red Sox who have made the playoffs in that spot in 1995, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005 and now in 2008. In their previous 5 appearances as the wild card team they have advanced to the ALCS three times beating Cleveland in 1999, Oakland in 2003 and Anaheim in 2004. They lost as the wild card in 1995 to Cleveland and in 2005 to Chicago.

In September the team went 16-10 to finish the season at 95-67, 28 games above .500. For the month they went 5-4 away from Fenway Park (at Texas 2-1; at Tampa Bay 1-2 and at Toronto 2-1) and finished 39-42 on the road. The season’s final month saw the team finish at Fenway with a 11-6 record at home (Baltimore 3-0; Tampa Bay 1-2; Toronto 3-1; Cleveland 3-1 and New York 1-2) and 56-25 in the friendly confines for the season.

Manager Terry Francona: Managed like he always does making sure players who were hurt or tired got some breaks, the young guys got to play and the team still put forth the effort needed to wrap up the playoff berth. He has done what no Red Sox manager in my lifetime, in fact in generations, has done and that is get the team to the post season 3 consecutive years. Grade: B+

His final grade is a little higher because he had to deal with all the crap that the former left fielder brought the team this season and he handled it well. Overall Season Grade: A-

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