Around the World in 80 Sporting Events

UConn’t Stop Them, UConn Only Hope to Contain Them

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Doug and Fran at Gampel Pavilion
My traveling partner, Fran, and I in UConn’s Gampel Pavilion.

First, a mea culpa.

As I set out on this journey Around the World in 80 Sporting Events, I had, I believe, the best intentions to try and get to more women’s athletic events. As I compose this post, I’ve been to exactly two women’s events:-(

The 2024 Solheim Cup in Gainesville, VA, and the Wisconsin Badgers’ Round of 32 2025 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament match against North Carolina in Madison. (A third if you count the Milano Cortina Women’s Olympic Ice Hockey Semifinal between the USA and Sweden.)

That’s it.

And that’s, well, disappointing.

Women’s sports, you might have noticed, are having a moment. Business in the WNBA is booming (and expanding), there are women’s sports bars popping up across the U.S. (I even had the owner of Austin’s 1972 Women’s Sports Pub on Conversations with Sports Fans), there’s now a Women’s Pro Baseball League, the Professional Women’s Hockey League is expanding, and the women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament continues to attract a wider audience.

A few paragraphs below, I’m going to write about my third dedicated women’s event, seeing a University of Connecticut women’s basketball game at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT, and it was glorious for all the reasons you’d expect. I have two more women’s events scheduled: the 2027 Women’s NCAA Final Four in Columbus, OH, and the 2027 Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, OK, and maybe a third as another mulligan in the event I get priced out of the Super Bowl, as one of those PWHL teams is coming to Detroit.

Maybe, just maybe, if I decide another 80 are in order or some fraction thereof, I’ll craft a list of events that include a majority of women’s events to absolve myself of this guilt I’m feeling.

Storrs is UConn and UConn is Storrs

At left, the exterior of Huskies, remnants of an ice storm that hit the area a couple of days earlier, the menu at Huskies, and part of the 1999 NCAA Championship floor from Tropicana Stadium in which the UConn men won their first championship.

Admittedly, I knew nothing about Storrs before I began planning this trip. Well, aside from the fact that an absurd number of college basketball championship trophies were housed there (12 by the women and six by the men)!

What I discovered is the reason I didn’t know a lot about Storrs is that there’s not a lot to know.

It’s classified as a village, comprises just 5.7 square miles, and received its name back in 1881 when brothers Charles and Augustus Storrs (founders of UConn, then known as Storrs Agricultural College) donated 170 acres and $6,000 to develop the community.

I also learned that as of the 2020 Census, there are just under 16,000 residents, and the median age was a mere 20.6-years-old. With 21,000 undergraduate students, it certainly seems plausible that many of them are full-time residents who help drive that median age down.

That all said, my traveling partner on this trip, Fran, and I did manage to find ourselves a spot for a pregame bite to eat: Huskies Restaurant & Bar. And after flying into Boston from Detroit and then driving the hour-and-a-half to Storrs, this spot featured all the pub fare we could ever hope for and UConn memorabilia aplenty for us to admire.

That Championship Feeling

Clockwise from upper left, the 12 UConn Women’s National Championship banners hang in Gampel Pavilion’s rafters; longtime men’s coach Jim Calhoun has his Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction honored; Fran and I with a championship trophy; the six men’s banners hang on the opposite side of center court; the amount of success the women’s program has enjoyed is astounding; fortunately there’s a bit more room to add to this display; women’s coach Geno Auriemma’s Hall of Fame banner flies next to the names of the UConn alumni who are in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

I’d really hoped there might be some UConn Hall of Fame or Legends Concourse or even a Trophy Case around that highlighted the many notable accomplishments by the men’s and women’s teams.

Alas, Gampel Pavilion is not such a place for that. The concourses are tight, and there’s not a lot of surplus space to be lauding the school’s oodles of hardwood championships (one need only look to the rafters for that, I suppose).

That said, an NCAA Women’s Championship Trophy was on display and welcoming photo opportunities, and Fran and I were sure to grab a moment with the hardware.

Beyond that, Gampel was a bit of a throwback. That is, a place that hosts sporting events and not much more.

While the other major college basketball gyms I’d visited before, Butler’s Hinkle Field House and Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse, and shortly thereafter, UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion, all leaned into the building’s history with expansive displays of artifacts and highlights of past accomplishments.

Shortly after the 2025-26 season, it was announced that a nearly $100 million improvement to Gampel would begin. I hoped maybe something similar to what I experienced in the other college basketball shrines might be part of those plans … nope:-(

UConn was Good … Scary Good!

Notre Dame vs. UConn Women's Basketball
The Irish offense goes to work during its first possession of the game.

When I first identified this game as an event, Notre Dame was coming off a 28-6 overall record and won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title with a 16-2 record. Of course, that team featured the double-barrelled attack of Olivia Miles (currently tearing up the WNBA) and Hannah Hidalgo. That team handed UConn just one of its three defeats during the 2025 NCAA Championship season when the Irish won, 79-68, at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center.

What a difference a year makes.

Miles spent her final year of college at Texas Christian, and Hidalgo was pretty much left to her own devices against a Husky team that was determined to not let her beat them. Notre Dame had lost three of its previous five games and had fallen completely out of the national rankings when it arrived for the MLK Day showdown in Storrs.

In addition to tormenting Hidalgo all game (she finished with just 16 points, nearly 10 off her season average), UConn featured a balanced attack led by All-Americans Azzi Fudd (15 points) and Sarah Strong (18 points [including the 1,000th of her career], 11 rebounds, three blocks, and three steals) and raced to a 16-7 lead following the first quarter and then used a 27-12 third quarter to leave no doubt en route to an 85-47 shellacking. If UConn had shot even moderately well from 3-point range (just 6-for-24), it could have been far worse.

Fran, who is an inductee in the Michigan Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Hall of Fame for his decades leading the Rochester Adams Highlanders girls’ team (including former Irish player Jeannine Augustin, who played with current Notre Dame coach Nielle Ivey for one season), walked out of Gampel impressed by the relentless defensive pressure and physicality of the Huskies.

I think he and I were in lockstep that it would be a tough team to beat in the NCAA Tournament.

We wound up being wrong.

The Gampel Vibe

From left, UConn’s Ashlynn Shade rises for a jumper; the Huskies lean into their wealth of basketball titles; the exterior of Gampel Pavilion; and Sarah Strong is recognized for her 1,000th career point.

This was my first major women’s college basketball game … ever.

I had zero preconceptions walking in. Having said that, the environment exceeded anything I could have imagined.

First, there was a full house of 10,244 crammed into the place! And the fans get extra credit for arriving early.

Second, this was every bit the equal of my time at Kansas or UCLA or Butler for men’s games. There was a full pep band, cheer squad, dance team, and sizable student section. And the crowd was – at least before it got out of reach – into the game and responding to the cues from the band and the cheer team.

Finally, this was truly a women’s basketball experience. And by that I don’t simply mean the product on the floor and fans in the stands, but even the television screens near the concession stands aired other women’s games in the lead up to tip-off. Fran and I were part of a small group who cared not at all about the popcorn and hot dogs but rather the final moments of the 7th-ranked University of Michigan versus 10th-ranked Vanderbilt University game from Newark, NJ. The Wolverines trailed by 17 at the half, but had opportunities to tie or take the lead down the stretch before falling, 72-69.

(Almost) Another Music City Miracle

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From left, Wayne, Todd, and I; our view during pregame warmups; the captains gather for the coin flip.

To the moment, I’ve attended 38 events on this wild journey Around the World in 80 Sporting Events. (And, really, as I write this post I’ve been to 59 … I’m a bit behind in my reflections;-)

I’m able to say, without question, none – of the 38 or the 59 – has proven to be as exciting as the NCAA FCS National Championship Game in Nashville, TN, between Illinois State and Montana State. Montana State won in walk-off fashion, 35-34, in overtime.

It was an electric atmosphere and an incredible game that featured the type of finish a fan with no dog in the fight loves. That is, one that ends on the final play.

I know it’s been a minute since the Bobcats and Redbirds took to FirstBank Stadium‘s field that first Monday in January so let’s recap how they got there:

  • Montana State was the No. 2 overall seed in the tournament, though I’m sure the majority of their fans weren’t thinking about that when the season began with a 59-13 shellacking at the hands of the B1G’s Oregon Ducks and then followed it up with a 30-24 double-overtime loss to then-second-ranked South Dakota State. Yes, the Bobcats began their season 0-2 before winning 12 straight – including a pair of victories over their in-state rivals the University of Montana Grizzlies – to reach Nashville.
  • In stark contrast, Illinois State rather limped into the playoffs. It lost its regular-season finale to Southern Illinois, 37-7 (at home!), to finish in a 3-way tie for third place in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Red Birds received one of the final at-large bids to the tournament before turning into road warriors, knocking off Southeastern Louisiana, top-seeded North Dakota State, California-Davis, and Villanova to arrive on Vanderbilt’s campus.

I got there via Chattanooga, as my friend Wayne and I spent a couple of nights with his buddy, Todd, who was set to join us in Nashville for the game as well.

Room with a View

FirstBank Stadium as seen from the Marriott
The view of FirstBank Stadium from our room in our hotel.

I was only at the FCS National Championship Game because its FBS brethren completely priced me out of the event the previous January.

If you recall, I was actually in Atlanta when The Ohio State University and Notre Dame University were set to play in the first 12-team playoff back in early 2025. Rather than coming down in the days prior to the game prices actually went up to levels only a Super Bowl could understand.

Because of this, I opted to pivot and make plans for the FCS Game which, as it turned out, would be in Nashville, a day’s drive from my home in Michigan.

That said, there was some surplus funds in the budget so I splurged on a room in the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University. Though not on a high enough floor to have a view of the field, we could see the scoreboard and, obviously, was within walking distance to the stadium.

Last One Out of Montana Turn the Lights Out

There was no shortage of fans – mainly Montana State fans! – trying to get into our section at FirstBank Stadium; I didn’t pack my overalls, but perhaps I should have!?! I also didn’t bring my guns with me either like the fella on the right;-)

I had no expectations when I decided to make the journey to Nashville.

Actually, that’s not necessarily true, I had a reasonable expectation to see the North Dakota State Bison – and Bison Bob, whom I met in Fargo at Event No. 31 in November – at the FCS Championship Game because, well, NDSU had played in 11 of the previous 15 FCS finales.

What I did experience was crazy. The announced attendance was 24,105 and I’m not exaggerating when I suggest that easily two-thirds of them were rooting for Montana State. Never mind that Illinois State’s campus in Normal, IL, was only about a six-and-a-half hour drive from Nashville. And, I might add, it seemed like the Bobcat fans all arrived at the same time and the same time as Todd and I who walked over ahead of Wayne. We were caught in the throng of fans on the concourse that rivaled the crush of people I’d experienced at venues multiple times larger.

Credit to the NCAA

Clockwise from upper left, this fan was pleased with the outcome of the game; hanging on the field after the game; a look at the stage where the trophy was presented; the ISU and MSU marching bands pregame; unironically, me holding the godforsaken media timeout placquard the red-vested fella stands on the field with that I’ve railed against for years.

I cannot believe I typed that heading, but I have to give credit where credit is due.

In addition to an ideal venue that’s relatively centrally located in the U.S. (Vanderbilt’s campus will serve as host for at least one more title tilt thanks to ongoing renovations at Frisco, TX, Toyota Stadium which hosted the previous 15), the NCAA made this as fan-friendly an event as possible.

There were fan zones prior to the game, a stadium that was small enough to provide excellent sight lines no matter where you were seated, a pregame performance featuring both marching bands, a halftime drone show, and, perhaps the coolest moment of the day, is that fans were invited onto the field 10 minutes following the game’s conclusion to celebrate with each other and be on the field for the trophy presentation. That, I can guarantee, does not occur following the FBS Championship Game.

A Fantastic Finish

From left, the overtime coin flip at midfield; Montana State celebrates postgame; a fireworks display ensued.

As alluded to at the top, I’m going to be hard-pressed to experience a more exciting event than this one.

It seemed for all the world like Montana State was going to cruise to victory. The Bobcats controlled the game from the outset, jumped out to a 14-0 lead 20 minutes in and Illinois State seemed adrift.

The Red Birds seemed to receive a spark with, just under a minute left in the first half, scored a touchdown to make it 14-7, only to allow MSU to score a touchdown with 18 seconds left before the break.

Illinois State cut it to 21-14 before MSU stretched it to 14 points again before the the start of the fourth quarter when the Red Birds scored on their next two possessions to tie it and then, with just under a minute remaining, had a 38-yard field goal attempt to take the lead.

Bobcat Jhase McMillan blocked the kick.

MSU failed to move the ball, Illinois State chose not to even try after receiving it back via punt, and it headed to overtime.

After losing the coin flip, the Red Birds scored on their second play from scrimmage and then had their point after attempt blocked.

Then, facing a fourth-and-10 from the ISU 14-yard-line, Bobcats’ quarterback Justin Lamson hit receiver Taco Dowler on a crossing pattern for a touchdown.

The Bobcats’ point after was good and pandemonium from the Montana State faithful ensued.

Pregame Eats

A few shots of Gabby’s, clockwise from upper left, my burger and sweet potato fries; the explanation why the accolades are displayed in the restroom; the quirky nature continues to the Take a Thought/Leave a Though area; the interior features a counter as well as a modest dining area; the exterior is not much to look at but the food is delicious; the aforementioned restroom with all the accolades.

We arrived pretty early in Nashville after commuting from Chattanooga. So early, in fact, that our hotel wasn’t ready to receive us yet and, serendipitously, it was around lunch time.

As fate would have it, I was traveling with Wayne who knows where to find some off-the-beaten-path grub that’s good, (usually) cheap, and in a memorable location.

Gabby’s Burgers & Fries is such a place.

The fact the joint is only open for four hours each day (10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) should tell you plenty about the business it does.

The fact that it’s just off I-65 and sits, essentially, on a railyard makes it all the more alluring.

And, finally, the simplicity of the menu is too good for it to not be good. Burgers, fries, shakes, and a few non-burger items … that’s it.

It all makes it, in my estimation, a must visit if you happen to be in Nashville … Monday through Saturday from 10:30-2:30, that is;-)

And if you don’t trust me, check out the restroom – yes, the restroom! – where all of Gabby’s awards and accolades are displayed. (I kid you not!)

Post-Game View

Post-Game View of FirstBank Stadium
The view of FirstBank Stadium from our room post-game.

Year 2 in the Books

DouglasTHill1 Comment
Images from the past year's worth of events.
Some of the sights from the past year’s 36 Sporting Events which brings my total to 54. (Created with Mosaically)

Two years ago this week I picked up my father from his Indiana home and we began making our way to Pinehurst, NC, for the 124th U.S. Open. That was Event No. 1 of my Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project.

Year 1 saw me attend 18 Events across three continents. In Year 2, I doubled my annual output to 36 Events and added a continent (South America!). I stand at 54 Events with No. 55 (2026 FIFA World Cup) rapidly approaching.

With, essentially, one year remaining before my self-imposed 60th birthday deadline to hit 80, I’m feeling confident 80 will happen. That said, some significant questions remain: Will the Super Bowl LXI in Los Angeles be one of those or will it price itself off my list? Will Grapefruit League action happen next year or will the likely work stoppage in Major League Baseball leave me looking for a substitute? Who will be participating in the 2027 NHL Stanley Cup Finals? Because, you do realize, witnessing the Stanley Cup presented and skated is what Event No. 80 must be?

This is the annual point during this journey when I consciously – and very publicly – take a moment to acknowledge that none of this is possible without the support of my wife, Carol, daughter, Helena, and son, Jake. Not to mention Joe the Financial Guy (who chooses to remain anonymous) and all the names listed below who’ve provided support along the way. If you’d like to join the list of supporters feel free to send me an email (hilldouglast@gmail.com) or visit the Support The Sports Fan Project or the $80 for 80 Circle of Champions pages.

Thank you again and here’s to 26 – soon to be 25 – more to go!

Financial Support

In Kind Support

Event Companions

  • Anonymous Donor x 3
  • Carol Borom
  • Jim Coleman
  • Rick Chollette
  • Laura Dennis
  • David Duff
  • Martin Frank
  • Keith Gerber
  • Paula Herbart
  • Erv Inniger
  • Fred Inniger
  • Jeff Kupke
  • Rob LaCommare
  • Geoff Larcom
  • Kay Parker
  • Tim Parker
  • Luisa DiLorenzo
  • Brandon Hill
  • Carol Hill
  • Jerry Hill
  • Maury Koffman
  • Scott Michaels
  • Stephen Miller
  • Wendy Modena
  • Josh Niva
  • Mike O’Connell
  • Klint Pleasant
  • Marlena Radabaugh
  • The Rochester Education Association
  • Brian Schindler
  • Ray Setlock
  • Wayne Wilson II
  • Steve Wochaski
  • AZ Sports Cards
  • Todd Bloch
  • Brian Brantley
  • Frank Burger
  • Nathaniel S. Butler
  • Justin Byrd
  • Rob Byrd
  • Kevin Costello
  • Todd Darr
  • Julie DiLorenzo
  • Paul Dodd
  • Jason Fink
  • Troy Goergen
  • Dan Graf
  • Kevin Grover
  • Scott Heller
  • Kenneth Herbart
  • Kevin Hickerson
  • Brandon Hill
  • Carol Hill
  • Helena Hill
  • Jake Hill
  • Jerry Hill
  • Joe Hilliard
  • Erv Inniger
  • Jim Jaissle
  • Scott Jewson
  • Maury Koffman
  • Colin Lancaster
  • Geoff Larcom
  • Jim Livingston
  • Doug Levy
  • Matt Martin
  • Tracey Martinson
  • Mike McClary
  • Tom McClary
  • Stephen Miller
  • Josh Niva
  • Mike O’Connell
  • Todd Oliver
  • John Pakledinaz
  • John Pleasant
  • Fran Scislowicz
  • Greg Sippell
  • Macker Wilson
  • Wayne Wilson II
  • Je-ho Yoo
  • Todd Bloch
  • Cameron Byrd
  • Jaime Byrd
  • Justin Byrd
  • Rob Byrd
  • Todd Darr
  • George Fox
  • Dan Graf
  • Kevin Grover
  • Scott Heller
  • Kenneth Herbart
  • Kevin Hickerson
  • Brandon Hill
  • Calah Hill
  • Carol Hill
  • Griffin Hill
  • Helena Hill
  • Jerry Hill
  • Maury Koffman
  • Colin Lancaster
  • Jim Livingston
  • Tracey Martinson
  • Stephen Miller
  • Josh Niva
  • Todd Oliver
  • Tim Parker
  • Craig Pringle
  • Fran Scislowicz
  • Greg Sippell
  • Macker Wilson
  • Wayne Wilson
  • Wayne Wilson II

The Southern Scuffle Wins by Major Decision

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McKenzie Arena was ready for wrestling
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s McKenzie Arena is the sight of the annual Southern Scuffle collegiate wrestling tournament. The answer to the trivia question seen on the scoreboard? The University of Missouri.

My son, Jake, wrestled all four years of high school.

He had no prior experience wrestling, but felt like it’d be a good way to lose some weight, get stronger, and be a part of a team during his high school years. To his credit, Jake was clear-eyed enough to realize he wasn’t likely destined to play basketball or baseball in high school and never really expressed any interest in football, or soccer for that matter.

As far as his goals with wrestling: Mission accomplished. He emerged from his senior season looking quite different than the kid who walked through the door in ninth grade.

He didn’t experience a lot of individual success on the mat, but was part of a District Championship team and was a pesky competitor in the ultra-competitive 138 through 150-pound weight classes.

With that as the backdrop, when my traveling partner Wayne’s buddy Todd – whose Chattanooga home we’d be staying in while in Tennessee for the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title game – mentioned the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was hosting the annual Southern Scuffle college wrestling tournament I was totally down with attending.

Furthermore, because of the connection wrestling has to my son and our family, I became increasingly more comfortable including this on my Around the World in 80 Sporting Events journey. If you know anyone who’s sat on gymnasium bleachers for hours on end every Saturday from late November through mid-March to watch your kid on the mat for a few minutes of action you know how infectious the wrestling bug can be. Plus, my great-aunt Vi and uncle Bill were longtime Chattanooga residents. My family paid them a visit in my early teenage years and it seemed appropriate to return to the city as part of the this journey.

I had not been to gym to watch wrestling of any sort since Jake’s final match until I walked through the doors of UTC’s McKenzie Arena on January 4, 2026.

What is the Southern Scuffle?

Branson John, left, and Josh Barr shake hands prior to their 197-pound semfinal.
Penn State’s Josh Barr, right, shakes hands with Maryland’s Branson John before their 197-pound semifinal match.

The short answer is that it’s an annual wrestling tournament dating back to 2003 that’s hosted by UTC the first weekend of the new year.

The slightly longer answer is that for this iteration there were 26 teams represented. That doesn’t necessarily mean the entire team traveled to Chattanooga for the event, it simply means at least one wrestler for those 26 schools was entered. Three of those 26 finished among the Top 10 nationally at the 2026 NCAA Championships in Cleveland, including the champion of each, Penn State.

Among the Penn State wrestlers was sophomore All-American Josh Barr. He entered the Scuffle as the No. 1 seed at 197-pounds and he did not disappoint, running roughshod through his five opponents en route to the title.

A product of Davison (MI) High School, Barr was familiar to Todd whose son was a former All-American at North Carolina State and current assistant coach for Penn State’s conference foe, Northwestern University. Barr later went on to win the 2026 NCAA Championship at 197 after finishing as runner up as a freshman.

Scuffleodians!?!

Random school gear under the UTC athletic mural.
Some school set up shop in front of the UTC Moccasins’ athletic history mural. Is that a toaster under the ‘H’ and a half-gallon of milke in front of the Coleman cooler?

I’d not been to a college wrestling match/meet since my days at Eastern Michigan University. One of my freshman year dorm floor mates, Mark, was on the EMU wrestling team. He didn’t see much action as a freshman, but through the years when his balky shoulder allowed, he found his way onto the mat.

I recall a few of us turning out for Mark in our latter years on campus, but I’d not been to a multi-school meet such as the Southern Scuffle.

In many ways, it was not unlike my experiences through my son’s high school wrestling years. Schools carved out their spots along the concourse where they had inflatable mattresses and chairs to rest and food tables to maintain their strength and energy.

As I wandered about McKenzie Arena I saw wrestlers sleeping, grabbing bites to eat, chatting up fellow competitors, visiting with family or friends, watching video of either their previous matches or, perhaps, an upcoming opponent?

And my soundtrack as I enjoyed this walkabout? Well, it was McKenzie’s public address announcer who insisted upon referring to those of us in attendance as “scuffleodians” and, as the wrestlers prepared to square off would say “let’s scuffle.”

A Little About McKenzie Arena

Clockwise from upper left, the view from the tippy-top of McKenzie Arena (it was a long way up there!); some of the UTC athletic banners adorn the rafters’; the dedication plaque from 1982; the 1992-93 Moccasins finished 26-7 overall and 16-2 in the Southern Conference, winning both the regular-season and tournament championship before losing to fifth-seeded Wake Forest in the NCAA Tournament; the exterior of “The Roundhouse” promotes an upcoming SoCon game with Furman.

I found myself fascinated by host site of the Southern Scuffle, McKenzie Arena. Originally known as UTC Arena when it opened in 1982, it was renamed in 2000 following a donation from Toby McKenzie and Brenda Lawson from nearby Cleveland, TN.

More informally, the building is known as “The Roundhouse” for its round shape and for the railroad tradition in the city (e.g. the Chattanooga Choo-Choo or Glenn Miller’s ode). A railway roundhouse was the name of the building used to move train cars onto different tracks.

I made the climb to the top of “The Roundhouse” and – I cannot lie – felt a bit queasy near the top of the place. One, it was dimly lit upstairs, and two, the stairs ascended at quite a steep angle without the aid of handrails.

Suffice to say, I was delighted to make it back to the concourse in one piece and with my breakfast still in my tummy:-)