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Message: [QUOTE="UConn Dan, post: 5317154, member: 2362"] My chatGPT is very favorable to UConn (abridged below) but admittedly some of the facts are fuzzy (not shown: they referenced the Randy Edsall Football Facility as a positive) :confused: 1) Is UConn Athletics a better overall program than some current “Power 4” conference schools? Yes, UConn is arguably a better overall athletic program than several current Power 4 schools, especially when you include Olympic sports and women’s athletics. Comparison to Power 4 laggards: UConn’s overall athletic profile surpasses several lower-performing P4 schools, such as: [LIST] [*]Vanderbilt (SEC): Elite academics but mostly underperforms athletically. [*]Rutgers (Big Ten): Football and basketball have struggled for decades. [*]Boston College (ACC): Declining performance, low fan energy. [*]Washington State/Oregon State (Pac-2?): Their programs are now technically outside the Power 4 due to conference collapse. [/LIST] 2) Is UConn the best program not currently in a “Power 4” conference? Yes. UConn is clearly the best all-around program not in a Power 4 conference. [LIST] [*]Basketball credibility: No Group of 5 or independent program comes close to their basketball pedigree. [*]Championship culture: UConn has more NCAA team titles than most Group of 5 schools combined. [*]Revenue sports competitiveness: They’re nationally relevant in both men’s and women’s basketball—a rare trait. [*]Fan base & brand: Their national following in hoops is real and growing again. [/LIST] Closest competitors (but still behind): [LIST] [*]Gonzaga (elite MBB but weak everywhere else, no football) [*]Memphis (solid basketball/football combo, but lower ceiling) [*]San Diego State (good recent FB/MBB runs but less tradition) [*]SMU (has money, but not tradition) [/LIST] Verdict: UConn is the top prize remaining outside the P4. 3) Will UConn be invited to a Power 4 conference, and if so, which one and why? Most likely path: Big 12 Probability: Moderate (40-60%) within the next 1–3 years. [LIST] [*]Why the Big 12 makes sense: [LIST] [*]The Big 12 values basketball more than the other P4s. [*]Commissioner Brett Yormark has publicly flirted with UConn and hinted at East Coast expansion. [*]UConn offers access to the NYC/Boston media corridor and a powerful basketball brand. [*]UConn–Kansas in Big 12 hoops would be must-watch TV. [/LIST] [*] [*]Obstacle: UConn football. The Big 12 is still a football-first league. UConn’s independent football program is improving but still has a low TV draw and limited recruiting footprint. [/LIST] [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach