Agree to disagree on this. At the time the C7 left the Big East are they were looking to get out of the split interest between the football schools in the non-football schools. I think Connecticut would’ve been welcomed because of its basketball Pedegree, but again, my recollection was only if they downgraded football, which wasn’t happening.
I don’t think we were even considered for inclusion initially
for a variety of reason
Foremost we had a FSB football team and their goal was to divorce from that sport.
We we’re public , a fact the privates though gave us an unfair resource advantage a chronic complaint when we became the dominate team.
Third when they announced they were leaving it was pretty much assumed we were next up for selection to a P5 conference.
Every time UConn was rumored to be considered social media was alive with C7 fans calling us traders for leaving. The silence was deafening when they left.
I know UConn had previously attempted to keep the conference together but by late 2012 we would have been gone if we could.
Everyone was looking out for themselves , there are no hero’s in the story. I wish they stayed I truly believe it could have been successful. I also wish they hired a commissioner who had less grandiose football ambitions and more respect for basketball.
But it is what it is , UConn is what it always was simply a BB school and it’s premier sport resides in the best BB only conference in the US. Only two football playing schools of the old Big East are not in P5 conferences and we’re one of them That’s an honor I could have done without.
whether we can sustain our ambitious athletic program with a BB contract only epecially given our huge
shortfalls we’re having ,remains to be seen.