None of those things will really apply if it is the local version of she XFL or the G League though. I agree that the original intent of college sports has been largely lost but creating a system of minor league teams just doesn’t make any sense. Especially minor leagues associated with colleges. The connection won’t make any sense to fans. Attendance is falling across college sports. Turn them into minor leagues and it will plummet. Because your competition is no longer Ohio State if you are Cincinatti. It is the Bengals. And you are screwed. Same with Ohio State btw. Michigan isn’t the competition. Cleveland is. And you are way lower on the food chain.
I've never bought that "competing against NFL" stuff. You're already competing against the NFL for eyeballs, attention, energy, $$. But they play on different days, so it's fine, and still will be fine in the future. Plus the NFL
likes not having to run a minor league, and it gives a large platform to their players before they enter the league.
You literally don't have to change anything. You don't have to change the name of the league or the composition of the conferences or anything. The fans are already built in. It'll still say UConn on the jersey, people will still be all about it.