UConn to the Big East?
Here is an outsider's perspective as I am a Nova fan.
This is stating the obvious, but it seems UConn's best landing spot would be P5 in the ACC or the B1G, with the Big12 being a distant last P5 resort but a better spot and payday than the AAC. The risk with the Big12 is the uncertainty that it may be downgraded to the G6 if Texas and OU jump ship at some unknown time, maybe in a few years (or maybe never).
I state the obvious because any talk of UConn to the Big East is predicated on acceptance that the P5 invite has not been offered and the offer is not just around the corner. If you believe the P5 invite is about to drop on the doorstep then the Big East makes no sense.
If you accept that the P5 isn't knocking, then the discussion is between the AAC and any other possible non-P5 alignment. I think the Big East is a better fit for UConn as a basketball-first conference with a smaller geographic footprint that would benefit all of UConn's non-rev sports. The Big East would benefit, and value, UConn's NY market position, championship history, and rivalries.
UConn keeping it's football in the AAC while becoming a Big East member may be the best scenario for UConn short of a P5 invitation. Many dismiss the AAC allowing that scenario, but a closer look might show that it is also in the AAC's best interests. Selfishly I look for path forward for Nova's football program with any conference changes. When UConn and Nova were invited to FBS together, UConn stepped forward and Nova declined. In 2010 Nova was invited up again but this time dithered with the invitation for 6 months, and it ultimately expired with WVU, Pitt, and Rutgers objecting as they planned their own conference exits. UConn was left behind in the realignment game. Villanova football was also left behind, but with Nova our failures were more self inflicted.
Here is a proposal for UConn to the Big East, with football in the AAC:
UConn to Big East, an AAC proposal