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Once Again, UConn Sets Sights on Competing in BIG 12 Athletic Conference 

What will it take to push forward the change?

By: Aaron Dean

Over the course of the last few years, college conference alignment has been a tumultuous story. Conferences have been bolstered, weakened, or even nearly dissolved. In this whirlwind of movement, there was one proposition involving our very own UConn Huskies. This August, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark introduced the proposition of introducing the UConn Huskies to the Big 12 Conference.

         UConn is currently a member of the Big East Conference. Despite the regional advantage of being part of an eastern conference, the Big East lacks one of the most important sports in America: American Football. Due to this, UConn is one of only three independent teams in the country along with Notre Dame and UMass.

         By UConn joining the Big 12, they would have a big gain in that their football team could finally have a conference to be a part of. However, a major issue with this would be the regional location. The Big 12 is a Southwestern Conference. It is based in areas such as Arizona, Texas, and Oklahoma. This presented a major issue for UConn.

         The taxing travel plans of going across the country and back would put a major strain on the student athletes, as it would almost certainly lead to an increased strain on their studies and college work. Furthermore, it makes it almost impossible for fans and student bodies to come to any away games.

         On the other hand, there is a financial advantage to playing Southwest teams. If UConn can play teams in Texas and Arizona, that would mean that their games could be aired in these states and regions. The same goes for the Big 12, which can stream their teams and games in Connecticut and the Tristate Area. This allows for increased viewership on both ends and thus more monetary gain for both parties as well for the conference overall.

         So, if UConn were to join the Big 12, there would be the availability of conference football, and a large increase in funds coming from the conference. However, it would have a negative impact on the most important part of the college athletics system: the student athletes.

         However, for now, these problems and benefits will not be addressed at the moment. On September 5th, Brett Yormark announced that negotiations regarding UConn’s joining of the Big 12 had stalled. This doesn’t mean that UConn has been denied but it does show how it will be incredibly difficult for UConn to enter the Big 12.

         Firstly, UConn is locked into the Big East until 2027 unless they are ready to take a significant financial loss. Furthermore, the Big 12’s media rights deal will last until 2031, which would mean that for UConn to enter earlier other schools might need to reduce the amount of money they receive from the deal. This in turn makes the introduction of UConn an investment. However, many of the Big 12 schools do not see UConn as an extremely profitable team, as UConn has had a poor showing in football, one of the biggest sports across all conferences.

        This could be the first of many attempts by UConn to enter a Power 5 conference, as it will be hard for UConn to become a powerhouse athletics school without being in a Power 5 conference. In the tumultuous conference realignment environment, this is just a ripple in the waves of conference realignment.

Italy Wins Big In 2024 US Open 

By: Hannah Dean and Sophiea Runlett

The U.S. Open took place on August 26th through September 8th at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York. This is a tournament featuring the top tennis players of many countries that compete against each other to win $3,600,000. The tournament is divided into two groups, one male and one female. There are 7 rounds of singles and doubles matches at the tournament that are dispersed over the two weeks. The quarter finalists win $530,000, semifinalists win $1,000,000, the runner-ups win $1,800,000 and the winner of the tournament wins $3,600,000.     

The US Open has been going on since 1881 where 19 year old Richard D. Sears took home the prize. The tournament was held at the Newport Country Club in Newport, Rhode Island and at that time only permitted Americans to enter. Now it is a tournament that many international players compete in. This year, the top five seeds for women were: Iga Swiatek (Poland), Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus), Coco Gauff (America), Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan), and Jasmine Paolini (Italy). The women's singles quarter finals matches were Iga Swiatek (Poland) vs. Jessica Peluga (America), Beatriz Haddad Maia (Brazil) vs. Karolina Muchova (Czech), Paula Badosa (Spain) vs. Emma Navarro (USA), and Qinwen Sheng (China) vs. Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus). The women’s singles semi finals matches were Jessica Peluga (America) vs. Karolina Muchova (Czech) and Emma Navarro (America) vs. Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus). The women’s singles final match was Jessica Peluga vs. Aryna Sabalenka with the final winner being Aryna Sabalenka. 

This title had proven elusive to her from the beginning of her career, and thus was a truly magical moment for her “So many times, I thought I was so close to getting a US Open title. It’s been a dream of mine. Finally, I got this beautiful trophy” Sabalenka told ESPN after her victory. 

The top five seeds for men were: Jannik Sinner (Italy), Novak Djokovic (Serbia), Carlos Alcaraz (Spain), Alexander Zverev (Germany) and Daniil Medvedev (Russia). Since this was the last major of the 2024 season, there was much anticipation surrounding the event. Most critics expected Djokovic to win, after he finally won his elusive gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Thus, it was a shock when the Australian Alexei Popyrin defeated Djokovic 3-1 in the third round. 

Another favorite, Carlos Alcaraz, was also defeated by Botic van de Zandschulp from the Netherlands in the second round of the tournament. This laid out the potential for an upset, but that proved too difficult for the field of contenders. The first semi final was Sinner against the 25 seed from Great Britain, Jack Draper. The match was the second-longest in the tournament. Ultimately, Sinner outlasted him in order to be the first Italian in a US Open final. The next semi final was between two Americans, 12 seed Taylor Fritz and 20 seed Francis Tiafoe. The intense match led the crowd to not know who to cheer on. In the end, Fritz defeated Tiafoe becoming the first American to make a tennis major final since Andy Roddick in the 2003 US Open. 

In the final, though Fritz was on home territory, Sinner swept the match. Sinner became the first Italian to win the US Open. “This title means so much, because the last period of my career was really not easy. I love tennis. I’m very happy, very proud to share this moment with my team” Sinner told reporters after the final match. For both Sinner and Sabalenka, it proved to be quite a way to end their 2024 seasons respectively and proves how rewarding it can be to finally accomplish your goals and see your dreams come true.

First Weeks Set Stage For Interesting NFL Season

Then again, it ain't over til it's over...

By: Matt Campbell

Football fans everywhere are gearing up for the start of the 2024-2025 NFL season. After last year, when the Kansas City Chiefs trumped the San Francisco 49ers in the Superbowl for their back-to-back Super Bowl wins, many teams have made changes to try to compete in the playoffs and beyond. With new talent entering the league, blockbuster trades, and draft picks, this season promises to be one to remember.

Let’s start with some 2024 draft picks. This year’s draft was complete of first-round quarterbacks, beginning with the first overall pick by the Chicago Bears, quarterback Caleb Williams, from USC. Williams, a Heisman Trophy winner, is thought to be the key to jump-starting the Bears franchise. The second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft was QB Jayden Daniels. Drafted by the struggling Washington Commanders, Daniels was the 2023 Heisman trophy winner out of LSU and has the opportunity to make good use of Terry Mclaurin, the Commander's current wide receiver number one. The third pick in the 2024 draft was QB Drake Maye out of North Carolina. Drafted by the Patriots, who are hoping to fill the hole that the bust Mac Jones left after being traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason. The fourth and fifth picks were WR Marvin Harrison Jr, out of Ohio State by the Arizona Cardinals and OT Joe Alt, out of Notre Dame by the Los Angeles Chargers. 

The Power Rankings given at the beginning of the season showed the Kansas City Chiefs taking the top spot, led by Quarterback Patrick Mahomes. They were followed by the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals to round out the top five.  However, going into Week 3, the power rankings have changed a bit with Kansas City still holding onto that top spot, followed by the San Francisco 49ers, who were coming off a loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The Houston Texans are now in the third spot, with the Buffalo Bills in fourth place and the Detroit Lions in fifth. 

As the 2024 NFL season continues, several teams are coming through as early contenders while dealing with injuries to some of their star players. The Kansas City Chiefs have started strong, but running back Isiah Pacheco will probably miss the remainder of the season after fracturing his fibula and getting surgery to repair the damaged ligaments. Similarly, the Minnesota Vikings also sit at 2-0. However, Jefferson suffered a quadricep contusion in Week 2, and while he is expected to return, the Vikings' offense could face challenges if his condition worsens. While this is temporary, the Vikings first-rounder J.J. McCarthy will miss the rest of the 2024 NFL season due to a leg injury that occurred in the preseason.  Other teams, like the Los Angeles Rams and Miami Dolphins, struggle with critical injuries. Most notably, Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion, his third in three years, has placed him on injured reserve​ until at least Week 8. The Ram’s WR number one, Cooper Kupp, is out with an ankle injury for the foreseeable future and their WR number two, Puka Nakua, is out until mid to late October with a leg injury. The New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals are off to rough starts, both winless through the first two weeks. The Bengals face uncertainty with injuries to key players like defensive tackle B.J. Hill, while the Giants are dealing with offensive struggles and critical injuries, including kicker Graham Gano. 

Overall, the 2024 NFL season is proving unpredictable but also thrilling. Many teams are overperforming, proving their ranking wrong and others are falling short of their preseason expectations. Ultimately, all there is to do is sit back and watch this timeless American pastime unfold in ways one might not imagine.

USA Women’s Rugby Team Makes History at 2024 Olympics

By: Zayna Saidi

The Olympics, which started in 1896 in Athens, Greece, allowed athletes around the world to demonstrate their skills and athleticism, with the Olympics 2024 hosting 329 medal events from 32 sports. Among these, the relatively new Olympic sport of rugby made history on July 30, 2024. 

Despite rugby 15s previously being included during the 1900 games, it did not last. Since then, rugby was not seen again in the Olympics until 2016 when rugby 7s was introduced. Rugby shares a lot of similarities with football, with only slight differences in scoring. For instance, what is called a try in rugby is similar to a touchdown in football, both having an extra point kick afterwards. But, unlike football where a touchdown is worth 6 points and the kick worth 1, a try in rugby is worth 5 points and the kick is worth 2. Additionally, in rugby 7s, there are only two halves of the game, each only seven minutes long. 

The Women’s USA team consists of 14 athletes, with co-captains Lauren Doyle and Maya Tapper, as well as well known three time rugby Olympian Ilona Maher. Starting off strong, the team powered through pool matches against Japan and Brazil; with scores of 36-7 and 24-5, respectively. Then, during the quarterfinals match against Great Britain, secured the win with a score of 17-7. It was not until the semifinals against New Zealand that the USA team faced defeat, with a final score of 12-24. 

However, this was not the end for them. While New Zealand and Canada prepared their teams for the finals, USA and Australia played to determine who would be taking home the bronze medal. If they were able to pull it off, the women’s USA team would make history, as neither the men’s nor women’s rugby teams have won a medal since their first introduction to the Olympics. 

However, the halftime score of 7-7 left fans from both sides on edge for what was to come from the last seven minutes of the game.  With only minutes left of the second half, Australian player Maddison Levi scored a try, changing the score to 7-12. Even though Australia missed their kick, the little time left made many believe that the winner had been determined. Still, the USA team did not let this affect how they played, as they kept a steady mind and were determined to fight until time ran out. With only 30 seconds left on the clock, USA player Spiff Sedrick created an opening in Australia’s defense and ran nearly 103 yards just as time expired to secure her team’s medal, ending the game with a score of 14-12. 

With this phenomenal win from the team, many people around the United States have begun showing more interest in the sport, giving the winning team their support through donations, such as businesswoman Michele Kang, who plans to donate a total of $4 million to support the team in the 2028 Olympic games. Later, when reflecting on what their win means for rugby, Ilona Maher states, “We did this for our program because we say in rugby a lot that we want to pass the jersey. I think today we really made the jersey better so that other young girls can grow up wanting to play rugby.” 

Now, the team is determined to work harder than before. With a rise in support and more people interested in playing, both the men’s and women’s rugby teams are certain to make a strong comeback in the 2028 Olympics.

Kiefer Takes Home Gold in Paris

By: Joseph Maciejko

There are three different styles of Olympic fencing: Sabre, Epee, and Foil. Of the three, Foil is considered by most to be a combination of the others, and many consider it to be the most difficult. There are two main things that make it different from the other two. Firstly, there is a target area limited to the torso, which is highlighted in the metallic vest worn by the fencer known as the Lame (la-may). It's also considered a “point” weapon, meaning that rather than using the sides of the blade, it uses the tip of the blade exclusively. Not only does this require more precise movements, as the fencer can’t just slash away, but Foil also has the smallest target area of any of the weapons, making even less opportunities for scoring points.

With all things considered, American Fencer, Lee Kiefer, took home the gold for the USA in both the individual and team events in women's foil. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, Kiefer was always surrounded by the sport. Her father Steve was once the captain of the Duke fencing team, along with her siblings sharing the interest in the sport. All of this grew her passion and love for fencing. After watching her father at a local competition, she started fencing at age 5. Kiefer attended the University of Notre Dame, where she obtained a degree of pre-professional studies, and fenced for the Fighting Irish. She later went on to go to medical school while also continuing her fencing career. Kiefer is a 4 time Olympian, and a 3 time Olympic gold medalist. 

Though this is very impressive, she has many other notable achievements on top of that. Since 2008, Kiefer has been participating in the world championships in both women's individual and team foil. She has obtained 11 medals total, 2 being gold, 4 silver, and 5 bronze. Lastly, she's gotten gold in individual and team events at the Pan American Games in 2019 and 2011, and gold in individual and silver in team in 2015. With such a lengthy career that has many accomplishments, it was no surprise that Kiefer was able to take home 2 gold medals in the recent 2024 Paris Olympics. 

With team USA teammate Lauren Scruggs, she made history as the first time team USA took home both gold and silver in the individual event. Being a defending gold medalist for the first time, Kiefer had the added stress this Olympics that wasn't previously there in Tokyo. All of that aside, Kiefer not only became a two time Olympic gold medalist, but a three time, as she and the team USA women's foil squad took home the crown. In the semi-final match against team Canada, Kiefer turned it around after they were down by 4 points, and got them the win at 45-39. Going into the finals having two current medalists, and 2 other great experienced fencers, Kiefer felt great. With a rematch against Italy after losing against them in the bronze medal match in Tokyo, team USA was able to pull out a win, and win gold in the team event for the first time. Kiefer and her team made history multiple times in Paris, which she says is something she’ll never forget. With four medals won at the Paris Olympics, team USA fencing also won 2 gold medals in the same year for the first time ever. 

This is a historic achievement for the USA, and Kiefer is one to thank for that. Kiefer is still an active fencer, and it plays a massive role in her everyday life. Her husband is also an olympic fencer, and for the first time they both qualified in the same year this past Olympics. According to her coach, Amgad Khazbak, the 29 year old fencer is more than capable of fencing in LA in 2028, and defending her now two-time Olympic gold medals. If all goes well, this means good things for team USA. With home strip advantage, who knows how far team USA fencing will go in 2028!