"I think our fans are stupid...their fans are stupid": Geno Auriemma sounds off on UConn vs Tennessee history, thinks he's too old for the rivalry

UConn coach Geno Auriemma on Tuesday reacted to college basketball fans seeking to rekindle the UConn-Tennessee rivalry two days before their highly anticipated showdown at the Food City Center in Knoxville.

During a media availability session, Auriemma responded to a question about whether the rivalry isn’t what it used to be, and the winningest coach in NCAA basketball agreed. He pointed out that the clamor for the matchup had become so overblown that he no longer wanted to be a part of it.

"I think our fans are stupid. I think their fans are stupid. And how they reacted to the whole thing. It just became something other than the basketball game," Auriemma said (12:00 onwards) "And after a while that it just got old and now I'm old. I don't want any part of it."

The two teams began their storied rivalry on Jan. 16, 1995, when No. 2 UConn surprised Pat Summitt’s Tennessee squad with a 77-66 victory. They met again in the national championship game, where Rebecca Lobo led the Huskies to their first-ever NCAA women’s basketball title with a 70-64 win.

Between 1996 and 2007, the Huskies and Lady Volunteers faced off 20 more times, with UConn winning 11 of those matchups and Tennessee winning nine. This included three national championship games in 2000, 2003 and 2004, all of which saw Auriemma get the better of Summitt.

The legendary coach recalled that the showdowns were always broadcast on national television because of the quality of the games.

"It used to be that UConn-Tennessee were kind of the standard bearers of 'hey put this game on television because even men will watch this game,'" Auriemma said (1:26).

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Geno Auriemma says UConn-Tennessee rivalry isn't what it used to be

The Huskies coach also emphasized that the rivalry has diminished in intensity, with UConn winning the last four meetings since it was revived on Jan. 23, 2020. All but one of those games had a margin of at least 15 points.

"Their program had slipped so what made it so great in the beginning was that every game was one versus two and NCAA tournament and National Championship games and so it was incredibly huge and then it wasn't," Auriemma said (12:35).

The 70-year-old coach noted that many teams and rivalries have taken over in the past six to eight years, and the UConn-Tennessee clash has become just another game on the annual NCAA schedule.

"It's (women's basketball) spread nationwide so it's not what it used to be and they don't know any of the history of it. I don't think so," he said (1:37-onwards).

The Huskies aim to extend their dominance of the rivalry when they visit the Lady Volunteers on Thursday in Knoxville. Paige Bueckers and UConn look to stretch their winning streak to five games, while Talaysia Cooper and Tennessee hope to hit the reset button and end their four-game losing skid against the Huskies.

The Huskies are coming off a 42-point win over Butler, while the Lady Vols edged Missouri 76-71 in their last game.