The guy is using Villanova as the model...a small private school of 6500 undergrads. Villanova is not our model for ANYTHING. They are a modest sized private school that is primarily focussed on undergraduate education. UCONN is a major public university with a respected graduate school that awards PhDs (VU does in religious studies, I believe) in multiple disciplines, conducts cutting edge reseach, has a medical school, a dental school, a law school, graduate business school, school of pharmacy, school of social work and on and on. It operates on a completely different plane. It is much closer to UNC, Virginia, even Michigan and Ohio State than it is to Villanova. Villanova's peers are really schools like Fairfield and PC and Quinipiac. Comparing them is apples and oranges and comparing their athletic goals is too. As far as you other point, that you'd prefer to see UCONN football die than be Butler or Gonzaga...well that is not the choice. First I don't get the argument. I mean, who would want to go to consecutive NCAA finals? or be nationally ranked virtually every year? But really, it should be possible to get into a conference where both sports can thrive, and both the ACC and the Big 10 are such conferences. Without Pitt and Syracuse, the big East isn't the league it was. Lose any of UCONN, Louisville, West Virginia and it moves down another step, and lose 2 and it moves back even more. Georgetown, Villanova Marquette are nice programs, but htey are Top 20ish programs, not potential Top 5 programs. without the Big East as it has been, you have to wonder how or if they can continue to recruit the same level of athletes, too.