We've already had one report saying that the Huskies would be willing to leave the Big East, but could this proposed change help spur it on?
On Wednesday, we heard college basketball insider Jon Rothstein say that he believes the University of Connecticut would leave the Big East if a good offer came from the Big Ten, Big XII or ACC.
We've heard rumors about the Huskies leaving before, so that's not necessarily new, but Rothstein said it with such conviction that it makes you continue to wonder about the future of UConn athletics.
"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."
Let's look at a few important things here:
On the basketball front
In a perfect world, the Big East would be incredibly strong and would challenge the Huskies nightly. Also in a perfect world, both the men and women's programs would continue to win the league and earn a top seed in the NCAA Tournament regardless.
Both programs would be battle tested by the regular season and Big East tournament, and several other league mates would make the NCAA Tournament, helping create more revenue to be spread out among the schools.
And UConn would still be able to compete for - and win - national championships.
But the world is not perfect.
As it stands right now, there are only a handful of challengers in the Big East for the men's and women's programs, and the league schedule generally feels a letdown from non-conference play.
Both programs can challenge themselves in the non-league portion in order to ready themselves for the NCAA Tournament, but if other league foes don't improve, the league will continue to not get many NCAA Tournament participants, shrinking the revenue pool for UConn.
On the men's side, the Big East has only gotten three NCAA Tournament bids in two of the last three years.
Could a new football proposal change things?
Like it or not, much of college sports is run by football. It's just the nature of the beast.
Currently, the College Football Playoff is at 12 teams. Recent proposals indicate that the field could expand to as many as 24 teams. More teams = more marquee playoff games = bigger TV deals = more revenue for schools at a time when maximum revenue and profit is needed to support NIL and Olympic programs.
Given that UConn football is not in a conference, they have essentially zero chance to play in the College Football Playoff, but if the playoff field expands and UConn is given a more realistic pathway to making it, could that entice the Huskies to join a league?
UConn Huskies running back Cam Edwards (0) runs the ball against the Army Black Knights during the first half of the Wasabi Fenway Bowl at Fenway Park. Danny Wild-Imagn ImagesIf UConn were to join a league that supports its football program, it would be able to generate revenue from a league TV deal and have a chance to make the CFP, raising the program's profile, recruiting base and revenue sources. Sure, building to that level would take some time, but with a potentially 24-team field, there is always hope and turnarounds can happen quickly.
While the athletic department in Storrs may value basketball the most, it could be football that helps drive its future.
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