More comments by Berry Tramel, who is a sports writer for The Oklahoman:
He gave a glowing review of the Huskies football program under head coach Bob Diaco, however, that’s not the only reason the Huskies have the conference’s attention.
“There’s a lot of things about Connecticut that I think appeals to the Big 12,” Tramel said. “Certainly geography is an issue, but the fact that it is a state university, a solid academic institution, a good athletic school, particularly basketball and is in an interesting market, allows Connecticut to at least sit down at the table and make a case that they belong in the discussion.”
Perhaps the biggest note that Tramel mentioned is these are not just his thoughts. He only brought up UConn after talking with some from within the conference.
“Yes,” Tramel confirmed when asked if this information is from school presidents and athletic directors. “However, nothing is for certain or is anyone even championing UConn [right now], but definitely UConn is on the list.”
Based on our conversation, despite the hefty raise Tom Herman just received, it seems Houston would not be an option as there is ‘a lot of anti-Houston sentiment in the Big 12.’
Who would be the other potential candidates then? We’ve all heard the names.
“Cincinnati, BYU, Boise State, less likely would be one of the Florida schools, Central or South,” Tramel noted.
One of the issues that many have thought prevents UConn from being a viable option for the Big 12 is geography, but it seems that a solution for sports other than football have already been discussed should the Huskies be added.
“You might be able to work out a deal for basketball that Connecticut and West Virginia plays a two-game road trip when they come out west,” he said. “When one of the western schools goes east, they play both West Virginia and Connecticut, so there’s ways you can work around it. It’s not ideal, but it’s sort of the landscape we’ve been given and you need to make the best of it.”
Any expansion would not see a change for the Big 12 by the time the 2016 season rolls around, but Tramel did say we could definitely see a 12-team Big 12 by 2017, which is the largest the conference would consider.
“I don’t see any way they go to fourteen,” he said. “They actually like the conciseness of ten, but the way politics are right now in college athletics, the ten does not work very well in terms of football.”
http://thisisuconncountry.com/2015/12/huskies-big-12/
He gave a glowing review of the Huskies football program under head coach Bob Diaco, however, that’s not the only reason the Huskies have the conference’s attention.
“There’s a lot of things about Connecticut that I think appeals to the Big 12,” Tramel said. “Certainly geography is an issue, but the fact that it is a state university, a solid academic institution, a good athletic school, particularly basketball and is in an interesting market, allows Connecticut to at least sit down at the table and make a case that they belong in the discussion.”
Perhaps the biggest note that Tramel mentioned is these are not just his thoughts. He only brought up UConn after talking with some from within the conference.
“Yes,” Tramel confirmed when asked if this information is from school presidents and athletic directors. “However, nothing is for certain or is anyone even championing UConn [right now], but definitely UConn is on the list.”
Based on our conversation, despite the hefty raise Tom Herman just received, it seems Houston would not be an option as there is ‘a lot of anti-Houston sentiment in the Big 12.’
Who would be the other potential candidates then? We’ve all heard the names.
“Cincinnati, BYU, Boise State, less likely would be one of the Florida schools, Central or South,” Tramel noted.
One of the issues that many have thought prevents UConn from being a viable option for the Big 12 is geography, but it seems that a solution for sports other than football have already been discussed should the Huskies be added.
“You might be able to work out a deal for basketball that Connecticut and West Virginia plays a two-game road trip when they come out west,” he said. “When one of the western schools goes east, they play both West Virginia and Connecticut, so there’s ways you can work around it. It’s not ideal, but it’s sort of the landscape we’ve been given and you need to make the best of it.”
Any expansion would not see a change for the Big 12 by the time the 2016 season rolls around, but Tramel did say we could definitely see a 12-team Big 12 by 2017, which is the largest the conference would consider.
“I don’t see any way they go to fourteen,” he said. “They actually like the conciseness of ten, but the way politics are right now in college athletics, the ten does not work very well in terms of football.”
http://thisisuconncountry.com/2015/12/huskies-big-12/
Kirk H. Schulz @kstate_pres 
Kirk H. Schulz @kstate_pres 
