Last of a three-part series on the rise to prominence of University of Connecticut men's and women's basketball.

Jeff Hathaway called the 1990s "the breakout decade of UConn athletics."

In just 10 seasons, Geno Auriemma had taken the women's program from nothing to NCAA champion. Jim Calhoun had coached the men's program from Big East doormat to a Top 25 program. There was serious talk of football moving up to the Division I level. After a nine-year absence, men's soccer returned to the NCAA tournament in 1998.

Women's soccer was NCAA runner-up in both 1990 and 1997, while field hockey reached the NCAA quarterfinals in 1996 and 1997 and the semifinals in 1998 and 1999.

"So many programs had great times," said Hathaway, the University of Connecticut athletic director. "And I think that's when (athletic) fundraising really took off and the marketing really took off. It gave the university community and it gave the state of Connecticut something to embrace, something to wrap their arms around, whether you were an alumni of the university or just a fan or friend. That success gave people something to believe in and call their own, and in so many ways became the pride of the state of Connecticut."

Dee Rowe knew it all along. The former UConn men's basketball coach (1969-77) knew all about the sleeping giant. He knew about how the state's passion for basketball had waned over the previous 15 to 20 years because of the underachievement (especially in the early days of the Big East Conference) of the men's program. But in 1987, as the steel beams for Gampel Pavilion soared into the sky, he knew the giant was about to awaken.

"Could I see it coming? No. But Dee could," said Todd Turner , who was the athletic director at UConn between 1987 and 1990. "I give him all the credit. He understood the community about as well as anybody and he said, 'If we get this going, you'll be amazed.' And I was. He knew that there was a real devotion to basketball in the state, but joining the Big East gave basketball the chance to re-assert itself.

And once it did, the passion that Dee had told me about "¦ just erupted."

Better recruits were attracted to both the men's and women's programs and the results improved. In the '90s, Calhoun's men, with Donyell Marshall
, Ray Allen , Richard Hamilton , Khalid El-Amin and Kevin Freeman , won five Big East regular-season and three Big East tournament titles, going 253-79. In 1998-99 the Huskies "shocked the world," as El-Amin put it, defeating Duke 77-74 in St. Petersburg, Fla., for the school's first NCAA championship.

Auriemma's women were even better. With Rebecca Lobo , Kara Wolters , Jen Rizzotti , Carla Berube , Jamelle Elliott , Nykesha Sales, Shea Ralph , Svetlana Abrosimova, Sue Bird and Swin Cash, UConn went a remarkable 301-44. The Huskies won eight Big East regular-season and tournament titles, and in 1994-95 and again in 1999-2000 won the NCAA national championship, the 1994-95 team going 35-0.

"You have to recognize that there was this force, much bigger than athletics, the political force that willed the state to build a great institution here," said John Toner , the former athletic director at UConn between 1969-87. "We were becoming successful in the Big East and the Legislature was starting to show a change. They recognized that we needed a lot more support than what we were getting."

And support came from sources other than the state Legislature. Being a Husky fan wasn't just fashionable anymore. It was a blood-brother bond.

In 1987, donations to the athletic department from alumni and outsiders totaled $385,000. In 1990, after the Dream Season, that figure jumped to $2 million. In 1995, after the women won their first NCAA title, the number rocketed to $4.7 million, and when the men won the NCAA crown in 1999 donations hit $10 million. In 2003-04, donations hit the $14 million mark and reached $18 million in 2007-08.

"We had a lot of support. We had a lot of people who were willing to stand up and be accountable and you don't get that in a lot of places," former athletic director Lew Perkins said. "Jim and Geno were able to lead their programs and we were able to provide them with the resources that they needed to be successful. We were able to put it all together. It's just attitude, thought process and vision."

Added Tim Tolokan , the university's associate director of athletics/licensing and athletic traditions: "A lot of UConn grads were becoming a lot prouder of what was on their degree."

Changing the mindset

When Perkins arrived in 1990, the afterglow of the Dream Season was still fresh in the minds of many. He thought, why not take the next step? For years, UConn had been a regional program, with regional aspirations. But with the men winning 31 games and reaching the NCAA Elite Eight, people's perceptions started to change.

"We began to think (nationally)," said Perkins, who was athletic director at UConn from 1990 to 2003 and is now the AD at Kansas. "We had the ability to take our programs nationally, so that's what we did. We started to schedule nationally, we started to build some more facilities, we were able to get our finances going, our budgets increased. We started to recruit both nationally and internationally."

The women won their first NCAA title in 1995. The men followed with their first in 1999. The women won their second national championship in 2000 and won consecutive titles in 2002, 2003 and 2004. What made the women's '04 championship in New Orleans even sweeter was that the day before the men had won their second NCAA title in San Antonio.

And heading into the 2008-09 season, the UConn women are ranked No. 1 and the men No. 2 in preseason polls.

"We've become a symbol for a lot of schools that weren't like a (North) Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana, Duke, some of the traditional powers in basketball," Calhoun said. "If Connecticut can become one of the top five programs over the last 25 years in basketball, then we can do that, too. Look at that picture of what we were 20-plus years ago to what we are today. We sold kids a dream and the kids bought the dream. They bought my vision and my passion "¦ we looked up and here we are."

A lot of people have shared that same vision. In July, UConn finalized a deal on a 10-year, $46 million contract that makes Nike the official provider for footwear, apparel and equipment for all Husky athletic teams through 2018.

"The Nike deal is significant to the university because Nike is a worldwide recognized brand," Hathaway said. "It's an appealing brand for all markets but certainly to the youth market. And I think what that deal had done has allowed us to outfit our student-athletes in the highest quality of athletic gear for all of our teams and to do that without expense to the Division of Athletics ."

In September, UConn reached an agreement with IMG College , a division of IMG Worldwide , on a 10-year contract worth $80 million in guaranteed payments to the university. IMG will handle the rights associated with corporate partners, on-site opportunities, signage, corporate suites, game programs and all online components.

In addition, the school, recently extended its contract with CPTV to broadcast women's basketball games through the 2011-12 season, generating an additional $3.6 million for the university.

"UConn, through its dominance in the Big East Conference, has established itself as a NCAA powerhouse and one of the most recognizable athletic programs in all of collegiate athletics," IMG College Senior Vice President and Marketing Director Tom Stultz said in a statement.

According to Hathaway, Nike is planning to open several athletic outlet stores in China, featuring seven U.S. universities, including UConn. Not bad for a school that 25 years ago only had a logo.

"When we started, we didn't have a brand. We had no continuity. What color were we? Navy blue? Dark blue? We didn't even have an identity," Tolokan said. "We had created the Husky dog logo but we weren't selling a lot of stuff. So I met with these people from the CLC (the Collegiate Licensing Co.) and they told us the reason we should start a licensing program and a merchandising program is you will build a brand, create consistency and you'll be prepared for when you get good.

"When Jim won the NIT, it became exciting to be a UConn fan. It finally became fashionable to buy something that said 'Connecticut' on it. In 1990 it became fashionable to buy something that said 'UConn basketball' on it. In 1995 people were asking about women's basketball items, and in 2003 again we move up in class and now it's football that's fashionable. All of those steps were critically important. It branded us. We now have a presence on the national stage."

Academics and athletics

When UConn started winning in men's and women's basketball, a lot of people, especially new students, wanted to be a part of it. In 1995, the university received 10,809 freshman applications. In 2005, the university received 19,763 applications.

Since 1995, a total of 928 high school valedictorians and salutatorians have enrolled at UConn. In the fall of 2007, 40 percent of the freshman entering the Storrs campus were ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class. The average SAT score has risen 79 points since 1996 and is now 1,192.

"We have always been an excellent undergraduate institution with a lot of good graduate programs in different areas, and I agree that we weren't always recognized," said professor John DeWolf, who taught mechanics and structural engineering at UConn from 1973 until his retirement in 2008. "The best thing about the whole athletic program is that it has brought us that recognition, and in my view it's done that because outstanding athletic teams belong not just to the university but to the state of Connecticut. And that had increased recognition and increased enthusiasm."

Thanks to UConn 2000 and 21st Century UConn (a second 10-year, $1.3 billion financial package signed in 2002), there are new buildings for the schools of chemistry, business and pharmacy, while the Babbidge Library, Wilbur Cross Building, Museum of Natural History and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences have all been renovated.

"The average SAT score is up 200 points since I've been here; that's an incredible increase," Calhoun said. "The kind of professor we're getting here are obviously more qualified, the facilities they work in are so much better."

Added Auriemma: "I always said that I never thought our program could become what it is today unless the university made some changes, because you can't be greater than your university. You can't aspire to be the number one program in basketball in America while your university has no aspirations academically: graduate school, facilities, professors. If you're not committed to having the absolute best you can have in those areas, you'll never have it in basketball either."

Looking ahead

Auriemma is starting his 24th season as head coach of the UConn women with a won-loss record of 657-122 (.843). His overall Big East mark (regular season and tournament) is 379-65 (.854). He has won 16 regular-season and 14 Big East tournament titles. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in 2006. Oh, yes, he's won five NCAA titles.

Calhoun, 66, is entering his 23rd season in Storrs. He is 526-200 (.726) at UConn (774-337 overall, including 14 seasons at Northeastern). His all-time Big East record is 267-147 (.645) with 10 regular-season and six tournament titles to his credit. He was elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in 2005. And "¦ Calhoun has two national championships.

If you ask Hathaway, he feels the two have more coaching fire in their bellies today than they did when they were hired. And he hopes neither wants to stop coaching anytime soon.

"I think what happens is, everyone aspires to win a national championship and then you finally win one, you say, 'Is that the only one we're going to win?' and 'We need to win another one.' I think that's just the mentality. It's a nice view from up there," Hathaway said. "Jim and Geno are both Hall of Famers. They are at the highest level in their profession, they are consummate professionals and have done great work for this university. But the reality is that one day they will both want to go out and enjoy life, and I think the institution needs to be prepared for that."

That's part of the reason the university hired HOK architects in August to begin designing a new men's and women's basketball practice facility expected to cost an estimated $30 million, so whoever replaces Calhoun and Auriemma can keep up with the Dukes and Kentuckys.

"It's been a great ride. I've really enjoyed it," Calhoun said. "I have no idea when I'll step off the train. It could come at an unexpected time, but the two things I don't want is I don't want to ever leave unsuccessful and I don't want UConn not to carry on the vision of what we've done. It's been exciting, it's been tough. There have been incredible moments. I've watched us become part of the landscape."

Conact Chris Elsberry