UConn sports

The UConn football team has agreed on a two-game series with Michigan. It will begin in 2010 when the Huskies pay a visit to Ann Arbor and Michigan Stadium.

The Wolverines, coached by former West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez, will play at Rentschler Field in 2013.

The deal isn’t 100 percent done. The Huskies still have to deal with (move) a game against Northeastern scheduled for the same 2010 date but the parties have agreed in principle.

- Neill

The UConn football team’s Sept. 5 game at Ohio University will begin at 7 p.m. and will be seen on ESPN360.com _ ESPN’s broadband network.

ESPN360.com is available to fans who receive their high-speed internet connection from an affiliated service provider and is currently available in nearly 25 million homes nationwide.

It is available from many of Internet Service Providers nationwide and in early August it will add more than 15 million Comcast households nationwide, making it available in nearly 41 million households.

- Neill

UConn and Tennessee will play a two-game series in men’s basketball starting in 2010-11, the school announced Wednesday.

The Vols will play at UConn in the 2010-11 season (Hartford or Storrs, TBA) and the Huskies will travel to Knoxville, Tenn., in 2011-12.

“This is a great intersectional series for us to add to our future schedules,” UConn head coach Jim Calhoun said in a statement. “It will be an exciting match-up of styles and players, something fans of both teams can look forward to. For us, it continues our tradition of trying to schedule some of the best teams in the country, such as this year, where we will play at Michigan (Jan. 17) and Texas at home (Jan. 23), as well as Kentucky (Dec. 9) in New York and also the Pre-Season NIT.”

The remainder of UConn’s 2009-10 non-conference schedule will be released within the next few weeks and the complete 2009-10 schedule is expected to be released in late August or early September.

- Neill

A little note from the football folks at UConn:

The University of Connecticut vs. North Carolina football game on Sept. 12 at Rentschler Field will kickoff at 12 p.m. It will be televised nationally by ESPNU.

Four of Connecticut’s six home kickoff times have now been announced noon starts set for the North Carolina game in addition to games against Rhode Island on Sept. 26, Louisville on Oct. 17 and Syracuse on Nov. 28. Game times are still to be announced for the Rutgers (Sat., Oct. 31) and South Florida (Sat., Dec. 5) games.

UConn also wants you to know that ESPNU is now being carried by Comcast in Connecticut (on the Digital Classic tier). That doesn’t help everyone in Fairfield County (or many) but the channel is starting to get around. AT+T U-verse customers get it as well as most satellite services.

- Neill

Ater Majok plans to actually play basketball for UConn. How novel.

The 6-foot-10 forward, who entered his name into the NBA Draft only to later pull out, had been mulling a jump to the European pro ranks. But instead he has decided to play for the Huskies.

“Education comes first, so I’m going to get my education,” Majok told Mike Anthony of the Courant after the Greater Hartford Pro-Am Sunday night. “The decision is for me to get my law degree. It was tough, all the pressure and stuff. Now, it’s not about that. It’s time for me to get to work on school and the team.”

Majok practiced with the Huskies during the second half of last season but hasn’t appeared in a game yet for the Huskies. He will be eligible in December, following UConn’s fall semester.

- Neill

Just finished watching the UConn men play a little pick-up hoops Monday night.

A lot of the players are serving as counselors at coach Jim Calhoun’s basketball camp (which began Monday) and they play against each other when the day is over.

A few notes, with stories to follow in the Post.

– Ater Majok says he’s not sure whether or not he’ll return to UConn in the fall or go play pro ball in Europe.

“I’m just working out here. I don’t know yet,” Majok said.

The 6-foot-10 Sudanese/Australian forward also claims he has no timetable to make a final decision but also says:

“A decision’s going to be coming pretty soon,” Majok said.

Majok is not currently taking any classes at UConn, though it would seem likely that he’ll enroll for the next summer session in Storrs (it begins July 16).

From what we saw Monday night Majok looked OK. Not spectacular but good.

Of course, the competition was pretty good. Gavin Edwards is better (see stronger), Jon Mandeldove is better and Charles Okwandu is much better.

Also, freshman Alex Oriakhi is a beast! Not sure if he walks right into a starting role but he certainly has the body to play now (make that yesterday).

– A couple of hoop alums were playing with the Huskies Monday night. Donny Marshall, who is still something of a regular at Gampel (and who can still play quite a bit…though he has to D-up if he’s going to play next year…lol) was there. So was Tony Robertson.

Tony is one of the most affable players ever to suit up for the Huskies. And he had athletic ability to spare.

Robertson says he’s trying to get a contract to play professionally overseas, which he did two years ago. Still living in Rhode Island, though, Robertson says he’s intent on getting his degree and wants to go into coaching.

– Funniest moment of camp: With some UConn players serving as officials during the campers games, there are rarely a lot of whistles. Most of the action is a “play-on” situation.

But Kemba Walker fancies himself a perfectionist and took the chance to show his stuff Monday. During a late game Walker whistled a player on “shirts” for an offensive foul on a drive to the goal.

Fellow referee Donnell Beverly was incredulous (as were many of the players) but UConn associate head coach George Blaney was a bit amused.

“That’s the first charge in camp history,” Blaney bellowed over the loud speaker. “Congratulations.”

- Neill

The Big East Conference announced the league opponents and game sites for its men’s basketball teams for the 2009-10 season Thursday.

In 2009-10, the Big East will play an 18-game conference schedule, allowing teams to face 12 opponents once and three opponents twice. It will mark the third year of the 18-game schedule, which began for the 2007-08 season.

The decisions regarding repeat opponents are based on “natural interest, geography, rivalries, television contractual obligations and competitive balance.”

CINCINNATI

Home Connecticut, DePaul, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, USF, Syracuse, Villanova

Away Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, West Virginia

CONNECTICUT

Home Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Seton Hall, West Virginia

Away Cincinnati, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, USF, Syracuse, Villanova

DE PAUL

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Away Cincinnati, Connecticut, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Villanova

GEORGETOWN

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Away DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia

LOUISVILLE

Home Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Rutgers, St. John’s, USF, Syracuse, Villanova

Away Connecticut, DePaul, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, West Virginia

MARQUETTE

Home DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, USF, Villanova

Away Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia

NOTRE DAME

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Away Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, Villanova

PITTSBURGH

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Away Cincinnati, Connecticut, Marquette, Notre Dame, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse, West Virginia

PROVIDENCE

Home Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse, West Virginia

Away Cincinnati, DePaul, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, USF, Syracuse, Villanova

RUTGERS

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Away DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, Seton Hall, USF, West Virginia

ST. JOHN’S

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Away Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, USF, Syracuse

SETON HALL

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Away Connecticut, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, USF, Villanova, West Virginia

USF

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Away Cincinnati, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, Syracuse, Villanova

SYRACUSE

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Away Cincinnati, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, Seton Hall, West Virginia

VILLANOVA

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Away Cincinnati, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, St. John’s, Syracuse, West Virginia

WEST VIRGINIA

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Away Connecticut, DePaul, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, Villanova