UConn Invited to Motor City Bowl

The rapid development of the UConn football program took another step on November 30 as the Huskies received and accepted their first ever bowl game bid.

Three years into its tenure as a Division I-A program and after just one season of play in the BIG EAST Conference, UConn's next step on its rise to prominence will be a matchup against Mid-American Conference champion Toledo in the Motor City Bowl, Dec. 27 at 5:30 p.m. at Detroit's Ford Field, widely regarded as one of the NFL's most lavish facilities. ESPN will broadcast the game live, marking UConn's fifth national TV appearance of the season.

UConn is the first program in history to transform from an NCAA Division I-AA program into a member of a Bowl Championship Series Conference.

The berth is the culmination of a series of great capital investments in the program which have helped it reach its lofty goals with unexpected quickness.

* UConn plays in Rentschler Field in East Hartford -- the country's newest and most modern college football facility.

Thus far the Husky fans have flocked to the modern facility. UConn has sold out eight of its 13 games there, including each of its last six. Since the facility opened its doors in 2003 with a 37-20 win over Big Ten foe Indiana, UConn has posted a 11-2 record in its friendly new home and played to an average of 96-percent of capacity.

* In addition to the team's new game day home in East Hartford, UConn will soon enjoy the finest on campus facilities in the country on the Storrs Campus, at an investment of $42 million. The Burton Family Football Complex will feature new team offices, meeting rooms, locker room, training room, equipment room, dining room and space for academic services, amongst other amenities. The Mark R. Shenkman Training Center will house a spacious weight room and a 120-yard indoor practice field.

* The team's play on the field under head coach Randy Edsall has matched this commitment off of it. UConn has won 20 of its last 27 contests and has posted a .500 record or better in each of its three seasons at the Division I-A level. UConn capped its first season in the BIG EAST Conference with a nationally televised 41-35 win at Rutgers on Thanksgiving Day, giving the Huskies a 3-3 record in their first run through the conference gauntlet, just one win shy of tying for the league championship. UConn is led on the field by senior quarterback Dan Orlovsky who is third amongst all active players in career touchdown passes. 

Ford Field in Detroit, site of the Motor City Bowl

"UConn fans, we appreciate the tremendous support you have shown all season. Now, for our first bowl game, we need you more than ever. A school that travels well sends a powerful message not only this year but for the future too."

-- Head Coach Randy Edsall