Great post B1Galum. Of course we're impatient and if we have to wait for SUNY-Buffalo to become a flagship university, we're going to feel like we're "on our own" for decades. But I do think we end up in the B1G sooner or later. You're exactly right about what we have to do -- build up the university academically and athletically, and expand its mindshare as an academic and athletic brand among fans in the state, region, and nationally. We should be recognized as the premier public university and athletics program of the northeast.
Actually, I think it would make sense for Fox to make a play for UConn in some form, as we're the biggest brand/property not yet in a major conference, and could be acquired easily. If ESPN were threatened with losing UConn, the ACC would probably make an offer, forcing the B1G to a decision. That would start dominoes tipping. But the vehicle for Fox isn't clear. It would seem to have to be the B1G or B12 and B12 is so remote, and Texas so reluctant to replace the likes of Texas A&M, Nebraska, Missouri, and Colorado with geographically distant schools of lesser football reputation. The B1G would have to be willing to be a 15 team conference to move quickly. Without Fox bidding, ESPN now has UConn's media rights cheaply and has a disincentive to let the ACC invite UConn which would force them to pay an extra $18 mn/yr.
The other way to force action is to make the university a successful national brand -- get AAU status, build a competitive football program, keep winning national championships in other sports, build the fanbase in New England and New York, increase enrollment so that the alumni base will grow with time. Then we would have the threat of going independent a la BYU, with scheduling alliances with the AAC or maybe a few games with major conferences (a trial run?) and/or the new Big East/C7 for other sports, and auction our media rights creating a regional network with SNY and selling national rights to NBC/Fox/ESPN. Since we got $1.5 mn/yr for SNY regional cable rights to women's BB, it's plausible we could get $6 mn for regional cable rights to all sports, plus some extra millions for national games, plus we would keep all of our playoff income instead of sharing it with conference mates. The scheduling difficulties are the issue here but the AAC is no great scheduling paradise, with distant schools that aren't nearly as good as us in most sports, so independence isn't necessarily a loss. The athletic department probably doesn't feel it has the manpower or expertise to pull this off at the moment, but I hope it's on their plans because as soon as the exit fee income winds down the current contract/league becomes totally unacceptable.