If you talk to people nationally, the perception of UConn is not of a little, regional school. It has been a good member of the Big East. Paul Vecchio, Buffalo's athletics communications director, says UConn has another advantage in terms of its scholarships. It is imperative for teams to reach that 85 mark as soon as possible, and UConn plans to offer 80 scholarships two years from now and the full amount by 2002. Now Edsall just has to find the quality players to fill those spots.
Contacts are important, but there's also a little thing called luck.
For all the planning and foresight at Marshall, Woodrum acknowledges the fact that the stellar Randy Moss just landed in their lap after having behavior problems at Florida. If UConn's coaching staff can put the program in a good recruiting position, if they catch some breaks, if a stadium comes through, then good things could happen. If it does, Husky fans might start concentrating on hash marks as much as the hardwood. Lots of ifs. The stats behind the move to 1-A football.