Tweet from Andy Katz about BE expansion

[muskieman]

Andy Katz ‏@ESPNAndyKatz
If UConn found a home for football, the Big East would seriously consider the Huskies for all other sports,

[muskieman]

http://www.casualhoya.com/2016/7/20/122 ... ealignment

[Shadow]

Kiss the round robin good-bye if this happens.

[muskienick]

Kiss the round robin good-bye if this happens.

I'd love for the Big East to have the best of both worlds:
1) Give UCONN a place for all sports except football
2) Go to a 20-game round robin for the Conference season and forget adding a 12th team. No other team would ever "move the needle" like UCONN, so don't even try!

[commish118]

Don't like it. UCon wants to find a conference for all sports, including football. Joining a conference for football only, and the BE for everything else would be a compromise and a short term plan. Eventually they would want a football conference to take them for all sports. If the Big 10, ACC, SEC, or Big 12 came calling they would be out of the BE faster than you could say "Huskies". That is another reason I don't like it: "Huskies" is too close to "Muskies".

[muskienick]

Don't like it. UCon wants to find a conference for all sports, including football. Joining a conference for football only, and the BE for everything else would be a compromise and a short term plan. Eventually they would want a football conference to take them for all sports. If the Big 10, ACC, SEC, or Big 12 came calling they would be out of the BE faster than you could say "Huskies". That is another reason I don't like it: "Huskies" is too close to "Muskies".

UCONN is already IN a conference for "all sports" (although they participate in at least one other conference that sponsor certain sports that the AAC doesn't sponsor). The Big East would be crazy not to take UCONN into the conference. However, there would have to be severe penalties to pay should they decide to leave the Big East for a second time; and even at that, there should only be a very long-awaited open window for such a move on the Huskies' part.

I believe the likelihood of them wanting out of the Big East again would be very unlikely. Our Conference has consistently ranked highly among the "Power 6" BB Conferences, and our members, especially the newer three, are all striving hard to reach the top of the Big East (and the Catholic 7 members are not exactly chopped liver either, headed up by National Champ, Villanova)! Furthermore, where would they go? The ACC and Big 10 have already spurned them and they are now finding themselves a minor footnote in the Big 12 expansion talks by all the media pundits. It appears that at least 1 member of the AAC (Houston) will be gobbled up by the Big 12 with BYU, UC, and at least one other AAC member (Memphis or UCF) being seriously considered also if the Big 12 goes to 14. If the AAC loses three of its better franchises, UCONN's brass would do well to downgrade their FB program to the FCS level or at least consider a football-only membership in the MAC or some other non-Power-5 FBS league or go independent like BYU and Notre Dame (although with "lowered expectations" of success in scheduling).

[bleedXblue]

No to UCONN they are not a long term solution. Why change the conference dramatically for 3-4 years only for it to change again? Severe penalty? Come on, no school has ever decided to not change affiliations b/c of a financial penalty.

[harryfe]

Would be a great addition. I don't suppose we can get rid of Blue Demons?

[muncie6569]

The Blue Demons are in Chicago !

[X-lucidity]

Reading Harry's comments above re the Blue Demons and I laughed a bit. Then quickly soured. How in the hell does that entire athletic dept not get canned? I understand the plight of schools like Fordham or Duquesne. But DePaul...????????? They had prior glory, located in the 3rd largest city rich in b-ball talent. Little immediate competition since Illinois has struggled also at the bottom of the Big 10 for almost a decade. DePaul has been in a power b-ball conference to boast about also for well over a decade. Yet, yet - good Lord. Just relentless abject failure. You would like to think they could turn that elusive corner. You would like to think......