First, not every team in the B1G is a dominant program and the expectation level is not that we have to be Michigan or OSU tomorrow. Secondly, we have shown that we can compete against teams like Michigan, Indiana, Iowa State, etc... Third, P5 admission is a self fulfilling prophecy. Just look at Rutgers and their recruiting uptick. The minute we are in the B1G our recruiting capabilities improve dramatically just by affiliation. Finally, the p5 is like an excusive country club...it has nothing to do with inherent superiority or deserving to be there. It has everything to do with the privilege of legacy - better revenue, better exposure, better recruiting, better staffs, etc... We can fit into the B1G tomorrow and the B1G would be better for it across all sports, and even football would see a vast improvement. One reason UConn succeeded so early on was the quality of it opponents in the Big East. Its a whole lot easier recruiting a kid saying "hey, you got a great shot of laying time as we build, and better yet you can square up against Pitt, BC, VTech, etc.."
I agree with you on everything but the second point, because bottom line, it's about how the program is perceived
now, not five years ago. It's always about "what have you done for me lately", and lately, with the exception of the UCF game, they can barely hold off or compete against FCS opponents in recent years, let alone share the same field as traditional FBS programs. They don't necessarily need to dominate, but they do need to start being routinely recognized as legitimate contenders in this conference along with the likes of Cincinnati and UCF, because simply returning to mediocrity isn't going to be enough to garner them a bid to a P5 conference.
"Yay, we're a .500 team again!!! B1G should be calling any minute now!!"
They need to be a routine contender to even have a realistic shot. Being mediocre or sub-mediocre isn't going to cut it anymore. It hasn't before, so it certainly won't now. The depths of their recent struggles has been convenient justification for P5 conferences to further disregard UConn. Am I insinuating that it's some widespread, corrupt conspiracy of
Monkey in the Middle? No. And I'm not at all suggesting that this all needs to happen overnight. It should go without saying that it takes years to build a program. But UConn needs not only to return to competitiveness, but to make a substantial statement beyond brand recognition alone as to why it belongs in a P5 conference. Sorry to say, but notable wins from a handful of years ago isn't going to do much to make that case, along with the recent stretch of sub .500, bowl-less seasons. They dropped a lead in 2013 to what would turn out to be a fledgling Michigan program. That Indiana win was over ten years ago. The Notre Dame upset is going on six years now. That South Carolina bowl win was just as long ago.
This program needs not only wins, but notable wins in the present and going forward. Wins over BYU and/or Missouri would go a long way toward adding to that catalog of notable wins. If they could do that en route to an 8 or 9 win regular season, that would be even sweeter, but I won't get ahead of myself.
Outside of that, I agree with everything else you said about the benefits of being in a P5 conference. But this program has to get there first. They can't wallow about their past successes and expect to get there. They have to compete and contend presently, or at least in the fairly immediate future assuming all goes well under Diaco.
