UConn meeting Texas or BYU or Ohio State – or any Power Four team – in the NCAA Basketball Tournament lurks as a very real possibility at the end of every season.

But how about UConn football playing one of those power-conference teams in the College Football Playoff, now that it’s almost a done deal to expand the postseason pool from 12 to 24 teams?

A very limited possibility.

News broke Friday that the College Football Playoff and ESPN have reached the framework of an agreement to double the number of teams in the field. Both The Athletic and ESPN reported that the two sides had come to terms on a deal that would give the sports giant broadcast the rights to the playoff for a $345 million fee per year. That is on top of the $1.3 billion average that ESPN is contracted to pay for the next six seasons, The Athletic reported.

Under the agreement, per reports, conference championship games would be canceled, freeing up another week on the calendar for the added playoff games.

The first five playoff spots would be reserved for the champions from the Power Four conferences – Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12 and Southeastern Conference – and the top-ranked (by the CFP committee) Group of Six team. That would leave 19 at-large bids.

As an independent team in football, UConn is not a member of the Group of Six conferences but for bowl purposes, is lumped with them. The College Football Playoff committee could put a stellar Huskies team in the playoff field, but it likely wouldn’t without a conference title in its hands.

With the dwindling number of nonconference games for the Power Four teams, UConn might not be able to book enough “name” teams to build a strong enough schedule that would be looked upon favorably for an at-large selection. This applies to all Group of Six teams that don’t finish at the top of the heap, actually.

Until we see how the first 24 teams are selected in late 2027, it is safe to assume that a 9-3 SEC team that has been through the conferen

The inclusion of 12 teams in the College Football Playoff likely could spell the end of some of the smaller bowl games. This winter, 35 bowl games stand on the calendar, plus 11 playoff games. With one dozen teams being taken out of consideration for the non-playoff slate, it is possible six bowl games could fold.

And that could result in UConn and the Group of Six having six fewer opportunities for a bowl game.

The Huskies have played in nine bowl games since moving to the FBS level in 1979. They have a 4-5 record. Under first-year head coach Jason Candle, UConn will be looking to qualify for a bowl game this season and move the all-time mark to .500.

The Fiesta Bowl following the 2010 season is the biggest bowl game in UConn history. They lost to Oklahoma, 48-20.

2004: Motor City Bowl, Detroit
UConn 39, Toledo 10
Final record: 8-4 (Randy Edsall, head coach)

2007: Meineke Car Care Bowl, Charlotte, N.C.
Wake Forest 24, UConn 10
Final record: 9-4 (Edsall)

2008: International Bowl, Toronto
UConn 38, Buffalo 20
Final record: 8-5 (Edsall)

2009: PapaJohns.com Bowl, Birmingham, Ala.
UConn 20, South Carolina 7
Final record: 8-5 (Edsall)

2010: Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Ariz.
Oklahoma 48, UConn 20
Final record: 8-5 (Edsall)

2015: St. Petersburg Bowl, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Marshall 16, UConn 10
Final record: 6-7 (Bob Diaco, head coach)

2022: Myrtle Beach Bowl, Conway, S.C.
Marshall 28, UConn 14
Final record: 6-7 (Jim Mora, head coach)

2024: Fenway Bowl, Boston
UConn 27, North Carolina 14
Final record: 9-4 (Mora)

2025: Fenway Bowl, Boston
Army 41, UConn 16
Final record: 9-4 (Mora; Gordon Sammis, interim coach for bowl game)