In the world of conference realignment, could the Huskies be next? It's something that Jon Rothstein spoke about on Wednesday's edition of "Inside College Basketball Now."
"And this is another reason why the Big East has to start getting six or seven teams into the NCAA Tournament, is because long-term you have to keep UConn. I can tell you without hesitation that UConn is still very much on the radar long term of the Big 12, and it wouldn't shock me if the Huskies got a phone call from the Big 12, the Big 10, or the ACC, they might be out the next day, so it's really imperative for the Big East to step up its game and get six or seven teams into a 76-team tournament."
Those were the words of college basketball insider Jon Rothstein on Wednesday's edition of "Inside College Basketball Now."
There's a lot to digest there, so let's break it down a bit further.
On the Big East as a whole
To Rothstein's point, the Big East has lost some of its stature in the college basketball landscape over the last several years. Syracuse, Louisville, Miami, Virginia Tech (and even UConn at one point) left the conference in the early-to-mid 2010s, weakening the league. The conference has only had three NCAA men's tournament participants in two of the last three years, meaning that the league generates less exposure and less postseason revenue. It also generates less of a challenge for the UConn men's basketball team in the regular season - and the UConn women's basketball team doesn't get much of a challenge at all.
Could UConn leave conferences?
In today's world, where athletic departments need every dollar they can find to fund NIL initiatives and to keep their Olympic sports afloat? Absolutely anything is possible.
Stanford is now in the ACC, and so is Cal. Teams will play across the country in order to secure a better TV deal and a better payday.
It's possible that UConn could leave the Big East if they think opportunities and exposure are better elsewhere, even if it meant changing the school's travel footprint and tradition.
UConn Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. (2) dribbles the ball against Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) in the second half during the national championship of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn ImagesAnother thing to consider
If UConn were to leave, it would likely be a move that would greatly help football - at least financially. As an independent program, UConn has basically no chance to play in the College Football Playoff, and the opportunities to play power conference programs are shrinking as other leagues come up with stricter scheduling practices.
Football is a very expensive program to run, and if the the Huskies left for a conference that will absorb its football program and share the football revenue, then that could only be a good thing for the program.
It would mean less wins and a tougher road, at least in the short term, but if you have the right coaching staff in place, then there would be opportunities to use the new conference advantages to the program's advantage as well.
And with the idea of an expanding College Football Playoff out in the universe, there might be a chance for the program to get those opportunities as well.
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