Central Connecticut State University is a public university in New Britain, Connecticut. Founded in 1849 as the State Normal School, CCSU is Connecticut's oldest publicly-funded university. It is made up of four schools: the Ammon College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences; the School of Business; the School of Education and Professional Studies; and the School of Engineering, Science, and Technology. As of Spring 2022, the university was attended by 8,898 students: 7,054 undergraduate students and 1,844 graduate students. More than half of students live off campus and 96 percent are Connecticut residents. The school is part of the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities system (CSCU), which also oversees Eastern, Western, and Southern Connecticut State Universities.
William H. Detrick Gymnasium is a 2,654-seat multi-purpose arena in New Britain, Connecticut. It is home to the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils men's and women's basketball teams and women's volleyball team. In 2005 it received a new floor, the first since the facility opened in 1965. The Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament was held there in 1998, 2002, and 2007. The facility is named after Bill Detrick, who was head coach at CCSU for 29 years, compiling a school-record 468 wins.
The Illinois State Redbirds are the athletic teams that represent Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Teams play at the NCAA Division I level. The football team competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference while most other teams compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The fight song is Go, You Redbirds.
Howard Brandt Dickenman Jr. is a retired American college basketball coach and the former men's basketball head coach for the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils. He was the second-longest tenured head coach in program history. Previous to becoming the CCSU head coach, he spent fourteen years as an assistant coach for the Connecticut Huskies; the last ten years were as the top assistant under Hall-of-Fame coach Jim Calhoun. His first coaching job was assistant coach at New Britain High School in New Britain, Connecticut, a position he held for three years.
The Georgia Bulldogs baseball team represents the University of Georgia in NCAA Division I college baseball.
The Central Connecticut Blue Devils men's soccer team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut, United States. The team is a member of the Northeast Conference, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. Northwestern's first men's soccer team was fielded in 1969. The team plays its home games at Central Connecticut Soccer Field in New Britain, which opened in 2012 and sits 1,000. The Blue Devils are coached by David Kelly.
Charlie Hickey is an American college baseball coach. He has been the head coach of Central Connecticut since the 2000 season, leading the Blue Devils to six NCAA tournaments. Previously, he was the head coach at Providence for three seasons (1997–1999). Providence announced it was cutting the program prior to the 1999 season, but the team won that year's Big East title and advanced to an NCAA Regional final.
The Central Connecticut Blue Devils women's basketball team represents Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference.
The 2015–16 Central Connecticut Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Central Connecticut State University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Blue Devils, led by 20th year head coach Howie Dickenman, played their home games at the William H. Detrick Gymnasium and were members of the Northeast Conference. They finished the season 4–25, 3–15 in NEC play to finish in last place. They failed to qualify for the NEC tournament.
The Central Connecticut–Hartford rivalry is the collegiate athletics rivalry between the Central Connecticut (CCSU) Blue Devils sports teams of Central Connecticut State University and Hartford Hawks sports teams of the University of Hartford. Unlike most in-state rivalries, Hartford and CCSU compete in different conferences. Hartford competed in the America East Conference until the school's 2023 reclassification to Division III and move to the Conference of New England and CCSU competes in the Northeast Conference.
The 2018–19 Central Connecticut Blue Devils women's basketball team represented Central Connecticut State University during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Blue Devils were led by twelfth-year head coach Beryl Piper, and played their home games at the William H. Detrick Gymnasium in New Britain, Connecticut as members of the Northeast Conference (NEC). They finished the season 7–21 overall, 4–14 in NEC play, to finish in ninth place. They failed to qualify for the NEC women's tournament.
The 2019–20 Central Connecticut Blue Devils women's basketball team represented Central Connecticut State University during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Blue Devils were led by thirteenth-year head coach Beryl Piper, and played their home games at the William H. Detrick Gymnasium in New Britain, Connecticut as members of the Northeast Conference (NEC). They finished the season 4–25 overall, 3–15 in NEC play, to finish in ninth place. They failed to qualify for the NEC women's tournament. On March 12, the NCAA announced that all tournaments were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 2017–18 Central Connecticut Blue Devils women's basketball team represented Central Connecticut State University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Blue Devils were led by eleventh-year head coach Beryl Piper, and played their home games at the William H. Detrick Gymnasium in New Britain, Connecticut as members of the Northeast Conference (NEC). They finished the season 7–23 overall, 7–11 in NEC play, to finish for a tie in seventh place. Central Connecticut secured a seventh seed in the NEC tournament, losing to Robert Morris in the first round.
The 1999–2000 Central Connecticut Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Central Connecticut State University during the 1999–2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Blue Devils were led by fourth-year head coach Howie Dickenman, and played their home games at the William H. Detrick Gymnasium in New Britain, Connecticut as members of the Northeast Conference. After finishing atop the conference regular season standings, the Blue Devils also won the Northeast Conference tournament to receive the school's first-ever bid to the NCAA Division I men's tournament. An No. 15 seed in the Midwest region, Central Connecticut fell to No. 2 seed Iowa State, 88–78, to finish the season with a record of 25–6.
The 2021–22 Central Connecticut Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Central Connecticut State University during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Blue Devils were led by first-year head coach Patrick Sellers, and played their home games at the William H. Detrick Gymnasium in New Britain, Connecticut as members of the Northeast Conference.
The 2022–23 Central Connecticut Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Central Connecticut State University in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Blue Devils, led by 2nd-year head coach Patrick Sellers, played their home games at the William H. Detrick Gymnasium in New Britain, Connecticut as members of the Northeast Conference.
The 2022–23 Central Connecticut Blue Devils women's basketball team represented Central Connecticut State University in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Blue Devils, led by 3rd-year head coach Kerri Reeves, played their home games at the William H. Detrick Gymnasium in New Britain, Connecticut as members of the Northeast Conference.
The 2006–07 Central Connecticut Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Central Connecticut State University during the 2006–07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Blue Devils were led by 11th-year head coach Howie Dickenman, and played their home games at the William H. Detrick Gymnasium in New Britain, Connecticut as members of the Northeast Conference. After finishing atop the conference regular season standings, the Blue Devils also won the Northeast Conference tournament to receive the conferences's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I men's tournament. An No. 16 seed in the South region, Central Connecticut fell to No. 1 seed Ohio State, 78–57, to finish the season with a record of 22–12.
