Good morning! Welcome back to the Tip Sheet, a weekly newsletter from Mike Cerulli and Tom Dudchik’s Capitol Report. In this week’s Tip Sheet, we’re talking about all things UConn. What does their win mean for the state? How does it affect current debates about the future of UConn?

PLUS, three more stories to watch this week.

How the National Championship Will Affect UConn Negotiations

Well, was there ever any doubt? Dan Hurley and the UConn men are national champions once again. 

It goes without saying that this has been a banner week for UConn and for Connecticut, but it is also true that larger questions about the future of the state’s flagship university hung over the week’s festivities.

The Huskies’ stellar showing in the tournament will likely have real impacts on the ongoing debates about the budget and other long-term investments in UConn.

The first, and perhaps most pressing, question about the future of UConn has to do with the debates currently before the state legislature about the state’s level of financial commitment to the school.

Even casual observers of the machinations of the state legislature will be familiar with the contours of this debate over UConn funding: the school wants more money. Administrators argue that they need more baseline funding in order to make up for budget shortfalls or else they’ll be forced to cut student services and academic offerings.

Those shortfalls were likely increased after the legislature ok’d 2.5% raises for many state employees without also passing additional state support to help UConn and CSCU actually fund those raises.

The Governor’s budget boss has publicly said that to solve their problems, UConn and CSCU need to “sharpen their pencil” and work on solving structural problems that are driving costs. Those initial statements signaled a hardline stance, but Lamont recently said that its probable funding will go up from what he has proposed.

Legislative leaders, including UConn superfan Matt Ritter, have publicly called for more state support for higher education beyond what the Governor has proposed.

These discussions between the three major participants are not new, but the questions about state investments into UConn did come into sharper focus in the immediate aftermath of the Huskies’ commanding win over Purdue—particularly as it became clear that Coach Hurley and his staff would be the recipients of significant raises and overall “program enhancements.”

Within days of the championship, multiple outlets reported that Hurley was among the coaches being courted by the University of Kentucky following John Calipari’s departure for Arkansas.

On Wednesday, Governor Lamont was asked by News 8 about the future of the most dominant coach in college basketball. Lamont signaled that he was ready to “pay for success” when it came to keeping Hurley in Connecticut.

By Thursday, both John Fanta of Fox Sports and Matt Norlander of CBS Sports were reporting that Hurley would be staying at UConn with the school apparently following Lamont’s “pay for success” mantra.

And raises for Hurley and the coaching staff weren’t the only thing being sought by the UConn brass.

On the day of UConn’s well-attended victory parade, UConn Athletic Director Dave Benedict tweeted a not-so-subtle message about his views about the future of the XL Center. “You didn’t think I just meant the sign did you?” Benedict tweeted in reply to another tweet of his which featured a picture of the XL Center’s array of championship banners and read “We need an update! @XLCenter @UConnHuskies.”

So, it's clear UConn plans to capitalize on this moment not just by seeking additional funding not just for salary bumps for Hurley and co. but also for longer-term investments in the athletic program. 

Lamont hinted on Wednesday that a lot of that money for long-term improvements to Gampel Pavilion could come in the form of private gifts from a reinvigorated donor base. But it’s also possible part of it could come from the state in the form of bonding. That bonding request and the pay increases for Hurley and his staff expose something of a debate within a debate.

As the school asks for more baseline funding to stave off potential system-wide cuts to academics and student services, a small but vocal chorus of voices have been asking questions about why UConn is seeking millions-perhaps tens or hundreds of millions-of dollars of investments into athletics when its core services face such an acute threat.

That argument was articulated this past weekend by John Bruenig in an op-ed that appeared in Hearst publications. “How about paying for schools to succeed?” Bruenig asks.

Now, if you ask UConn loyalists that question, they’ll tell you that investing in athletics is an investment in the overall success of the school. They’ll argue that Dan “The Carpenter” Hurley has built a program that has yielded tangible and intangible returns that more than justify the cost.

Applications, including those of lucrative out-of-state prospective students, will likely increase—as they did after last year’s win. As previously mentioned, donor interest will also undoubtedly go up. These are material, quantifiable benefits that the basketball program has delivered for the school and state.

Still, the John Bruenig’s of the world have a point. Spending millions on basketball, even if it comes from donor funds or funds generated directly by the program, is not the best look when you are simultaneously asking for tens of millions in additional taxpayer money. There is probably a constituency in the legislature and among the advocates pushing for more baseline funding with whom that argument resonates.

On the other hand, there is certainly a wide constituency in the legislature that is likely more receptive to UConn’s asks now that the Huskies are two-time national champs.

It might sound like a silly concept, but serious academic research has explored the link between the success of college athletics and state funding. Hearst’s Alex Putterman dug into that recently. In Putterman’s article, both Ritter and Lamont’s chief spokesperson played down the impact of the basketball teams’ success on the budget conversation.

But the week after that article was published, Lamont himself nodded to the fact that the Huskies’ win in Phoenix gives the school “a certain sway with the legislature” when asking for funding for improvements to Gampel.

So, regardless of where one finds themselves in the debate over UConn funding, the national championship and continued dominance of the UConn men’s basketball team will likely be a part of the conversation.

Three More Stories to Watch this Week

Dave Altimari, José Luis Martínez, and an intrepid team of UConn journalism students under the guidance of Mike Stanton conducted an incredibly thorough analysis of the implementation of Connecticut’s “red flag” law. The report details uneven application of the law throughout the state and highlights the high-profile murder of Caroline Anne Ashworth. Altimari, Martínez, Stanton, and the students produced journalism of the kind that is all-too-rare in today’s media environment. It is as gripping and interactive as it is detailed and scrupulous.

Josh Elliott is headlining “CT Cannabis Chamber Lobby Day” at the Capitol on Tuesday. The Tip Sheet has previously reported on Elliott’s interest in running for Governor. The Hamden representative could represent the voice of increasingly vocal and frustrated left-wing activists in the 2026 Democratic primary and he is already setting out to raise his profile on issues important to the more progressive wing of the party.

UNITE HERE Local 217 secured a tentative contract with the University of New Haven after walking off the job last week. A parade of Democratic elected officials, including those with their eye on the nomination in ‘26, made their way to the Elm City to rally with UNITE HERE members.

One more thing…

Bruce Springsteen was at Mohegan on Friday for his long-awaited show. The Boss made it to the casino after health-related postponements and a flat tire on the drive up from New Jersey. Gov. Ned Lamont was in attendance and got a backstage picture with the E Street Band’s Steven Van Zandt. Little Steven said Lamont was the first Governor to endorse his TeachRock curriculum, which incorporates lessons on music and pop culture in order to better engage with students.

The evening’s set included the tour debut of “I’m On Fire,” Springsteen’s 1985 single which has spawned excellent cover versions by Phoebe Bridgers and John Mayer. Both make for some cool, calm Monday listening.

Have a great week!