Just about a month ago the University of Hartford Men’s Basketball team was playing in its first NCAA Tournament. Head Coach John Gallagher was out in the media talking to anyone who would listen about his program and the university. Fast forward to last week when WTNH’s Dennis House reported that the university was debating a demotion in their athletic program from D1 to D3. On this episode I’ll dive into this story from a few different angles.
First, you’ll hear from Dennis House himself (1:38-11:15). He gives additional background on this story and talks about his interview with University of Hartford president Gregory Woodward. Next up you’ll hear from Melissa Pereira (11:16-19:57). A former softball player for UHart, she has gone out to start a petition to keep the school at the D1 level. She’ll explain why she started the petition and what being a D1 athlete meant to you. Finally, you’ll hear from Erik Ostberg (19:58-39:35). Erik played baseball for UHart and was drafted by The Tampa Bay Rays in 2017. Erik talks about why he’s against the move to D3 and shares insight into his time with the baseball program.