Can someone summarize

[NJHusky]

I tried keeping up when this first broke but now I’m lost. There’s numerous threads and don’t have the patience to dig through them all

TIA

 

[KryHavok]

Long story short, a tweet went out that UConn was in discussion with the Big12 and that a vote for an invitation was "imminent". Then last Monday there was a presentation given to the Big12 on the merits of UConn joining. One of the Big12's partners, Endeavor, was supportive of the move the invite UConn, however the nature of the invite remains muddled. At the crux UConn seemed poised to join for most sports in 2 years while football would be given an extended probationary (my interpretation, other word was "runway") to improve their fiscal and structural issues such that full membership may be possible by 2031 when the next media contract would be negotiated. ESPN was purported to add money so that UConn joining would be "revenue neutral", however Fox was not supportive of this as the invite would take UConn away from the Big East with whom Fox just recently negotiated a new media deal. During that presentation on Monday, there was an unofficial vote with 6 in favor and 2 against UConn joining; had the vote been 8 in favor, it likely would have gone to an all member vote wherein a 3/4 majority, meaning 12 yes votes out of 16 members, would secure an invite. However, nothing has been concretely decided, and the negotiations have become muted to the extent that membership might not be voted upon this year but perhaps next year (no guarantee though). So we begin September the way we began August: as an independent in football while most other sports are in the Big East. Back to the tweat leak, it was ill timed and misinformed with imminent, with some of the BYers thinking that it was meant to rile the fanbase so that the Big East enthusiasts would rally and shoot down the Big12 invite, which to some degree did occur by both fans and CT politician(s).

 

[Kolumbo]

The struggle is real. There is no shortcut when following CR. Happy readings.

 

[jostar1]

I’ll try. I’m sure others can add.

The Big 12 is considering adding UConn for basketball and other Olympic sports in possibly 2026. We have to give 27 months notice to the Big East to exit. Football would join in 2031 provided that we meet certain investments and benchmarks in the football program. At this time we do not know what those are.

ESPN is willing to pay for UConn. Probably $10-$11 million. Fox Sports is not in favor because they just negotiated the Big East media contract and they would have to go back and revise it if UConn left the Big East. Also they have us for cheap in the Big East.

Yormark wants UConn in the conference. Our strong points besides men's and women's basketball are our brand and our market. Yorkmark wants the Northeast and NYC market. Yormark is working on getting a naming deal with Allstate for the Big 12 and is considering a private equity deal. UConn’s brand and location adds money to those deals.

David Benedict and Daniel Toscano, Chairman of the Board of Trustees went to Dallas and made a presentation to the Big 12 Presidents and athletic directors. On August 23, 2024 the Big 12’s media consultant, Endeavor made a presentation to the Big 12 Presidents and AD’s. Endeavor is in favor of adding UConn to the Big 12.

There are 16 schools in the Big 12. UConn has to get 12 Yes votes in order to join. Dennis Dodd wrote an article stating that, so far, UConn has 6 Yes votes and 2 No votes. So there will be more discussions to see if Yormark and the schools who are in favor of UConn can convince the other schools in order to get to 12 Yes votes.

You can read Dennis Dodd’s story here:

Big 12 presidents pitched on potential UConn addition, but lack of consensus likely to prolong decision

CBS Sports verified that six Big 12 schools are in favor of adding the Huskies if a vote were taken today

www.cbssports.com

 

[TGW93]

I asked ChatGPT: Can you provide a summary of the latest conference realignment rumors about UConn and make a prediction of where UConn ends up by when?

The answer:
Recent rumors about UConn's potential move to a new conference have centered around the Big 12. As of September 2024, UConn is a significant candidate for Big 12 expansion, especially due to its strong basketball programs and potential to expand the conference's presence in the Northeast.

The Big 12's interest in UConn has been persistent, with discussions reportedly getting serious over the past few months. However, despite these talks, no official offer has been extended to UConn yet. The Big 12 Commissioner, Brett Yormark, has acknowledged the value of adding "big brands" to the conference but has also stated that expansion decisions will be strategic and not rushed.

The obstacles for UConn include securing enough votes from existing Big 12 members and aligning the move with their overall athletic strategy, particularly concerning football, which has struggled in comparison to the university's basketball success.

### Prediction:
Given the current landscape and the growing pressure on conferences to solidify their membership rosters, UConn may secure a spot in the Big 12 by 2025, particularly if the conference sees a further exodus of teams or if the need to strengthen its basketball presence becomes a priority. However, the timing is uncertain, as it will depend on both the Big 12's internal dynamics and UConn's willingness to invest in its football program to meet the conference's competitive standards.

 

[Hoophound]

I asked ChatGPT: Can you provide a summary of the latest conference realignment rumors about UConn and make a prediction of where UConn ends up by when?

The answer:
Recent rumors about UConn's potential move to a new conference have centered around the Big 12. As of September 2024, UConn is a significant candidate for Big 12 expansion, especially due to its strong basketball programs and potential to expand the conference's presence in the Northeast.

The Big 12's interest in UConn has been persistent, with discussions reportedly getting serious over the past few months. However, despite these talks, no official offer has been extended to UConn yet. The Big 12 Commissioner, Brett Yormark, has acknowledged the value of adding "big brands" to the conference but has also stated that expansion decisions will be strategic and not rushed.

The obstacles for UConn include securing enough votes from existing Big 12 members and aligning the move with their overall athletic strategy, particularly concerning football, which has struggled in comparison to the university's basketball success.

### Prediction:
Given the current landscape and the growing pressure on conferences to solidify their membership rosters, UConn may secure a spot in the Big 12 by 2025, particularly if the conference sees a further exodus of teams or if the need to strengthen its basketball presence becomes a priority. However, the timing is uncertain, as it will depend on both the Big 12's internal dynamics and UConn's willingness to invest in its football program to meet the conference's competitive standards.

Pretty impressive.