HARTFORD, Conn. — Thousands of UConn fans, alumni, and proud Connecticut residents lined the streets of downtown Hartford to officially celebrate the championship win the UConn men's basketball team brought home from March Madness.
The men won the NCAA Championship against San Diego State 76-59 on Monday night. This is the team's fifth championship win.
Just hours after the championship win, a decision was made to host a celebratory parade with just six days to turn it around.
The parade stepped off at 11:30 a.m. at the state Capitol and ended at the XL Center for a midday rally and congratulatory speeches.
Local drum lines and businesses warmed up the crowd by leading the parade before the men's team rolled in on a double-decker bus.
At the rally, speeches were brief but full of spirit as an ocean of fans crowded the front of the XL Center.
"It was a magical season. This group - they strived for five, UConn men's basketball Head Coach Dan Hurley said to the crowd. "Now we really just want to...make sure we get back in the mix to make number six!"
"You make the state feel like champions," Gov. Ned Lamont said as he addressed the crowd, ending his speech singing a line from Queen's "We are the Champions."
"You guys are the best fans. For real," Jordan Hawkins said as the crowd chanted "One more year!" The sophomore guard declared for the 2023 NBA draft on Friday.
Playing on the UConn men's team has "been the best years of my life," according to Hawkins.
"The best of Connecticut, the best of America, they show tenacity and hard work, let's make it number six!" said Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz.
Hartford is used to busy days with heavy foot and vehicle and has coordinated decades' worth of parades in the capital city.
"We’ve had these in the past we haven’t had issues. Everyone wants to have a good time," Hartford Police Lt. Aaron Boisvert said ahead of the parade. "We're prepared for anything. This is the city of Hartford, we deal with big events all the time."
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