This is from another board discussion about how the conferences will shake out. I thought both postings were interesting.
Astakaderas
UConn is not to be forgotten in this discussion. They will soon be AAU, have huge New England/New York City fan base and ratings on SNY are better than any other vehicle (NY Mets, etc). If you want to see a stark difference look at the fan interest in Connecticut for UConn vs interest in Boston for BC. Not even close. Plus, BC is not AAU. I foresee UConn getting picked by The B1G as Delaney seeks to consolidate the BTN in the Northeast. Football program and the stadium have lots of growth and expansion potential (note the 4 UConn invitees to The Senior Bowl this year). Poor recent coaching and lack of a Bowl presence the past two years has kept them off the national radar, but that's about to change. Add in their proven TV draws in both Men's and Women's BBall, an upgrade in Hockey, national prominence in Soccer and recently in Baseball, and you have the ultimate sleeping giant. With the need by B1G to justify and sustain cable rates, UConn provides all the necessary fodder for content on the BTN, especially after the goal posts come down. Despite the recent snub by the ACC in favor of Louisville (in all respects a rational move by The ACC), watch out for The Huskies to The B1G in all this realignment talk.
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Roggespierre
Astakaderas I just don't see it happening. First, UConn is not AAU. Granted, it is an established and growing research university, but that can be said of many schools including Virginia Tech, North Carolina State and Cincinnati. They aren't going to get Big Ten invites, either, unless and until they are admitted to the AAU. They also provide more cable subs because their state populations are more than double that of Connecticut.
Second, the Big Ten doesn't need UConn to get NYC. It has Fox and the YES Network to handle that trick.
Third, sports other than football and, to a much lesser degree, men's basketball simply do not matter with regards to revenue. Lacrosse might be an exception because it is growing and it tends to draw rich kids whose parents make large donations to the athletic departments that offer them scholarships. Conferences are required to have six lacrosse programs in order to get an automatic invite to the national championship tourney. The Big Ten will have five after Rutgers and Maryland join. Duke, Virginia and North Carolina are powerhouse lacrosse programs that would also bring national football/basketball/academic brands, AAU status, and lots of new cable subs. They and Georgia Tech are much more attractive than UConn.
Fourth, Delany has said that population shifts have much to do with expansion. This suggests that he is looking to the South for his next target. Again, the plumbs, in order, are North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia Tech, and Duke.
If the Big Bang does indeed occur, then I think UConn is more likely end up in a watered down ACC with Boston College, Wake Forest, Syracuse, and other former Big East programs. UConn's passionate fans deserve better, but they have a lot working against them.
