Dana O’Neil’s thoughts on UConn and Gonzaga not moving forward with the Big 12….
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Why this isn’t surprising
The Big 12 was very transparent over the past year about its interest in expanding, and it was clear throughout that it hoped to add Power 5 programs. Gonzaga and UConn were schools that Yormark looked at and liked — remember, he believes that basketball is under-valued in general — but they were always Plan B, behind Power 5 additions. Plus, these two schools were never universally popular among Big 12 leaders and would have been an uphill climb to get the necessary support to approve them as additions. But it never came to that point, because Plan A worked. —
Auerbach
What it means for Gonzaga, UConn basketball
This is probably a split decision — good for one, not so much for the other.
UConn tried to follow its football team before, and it wound up in a men’s and women’s basketball abyss in the American Athletic Conference. Losing both their Northeast footing and traditional rivalries did not go well for the
Huskies’ hoops team. Attendance sagged, especially for the men. Granted, the Big 12 is a better basketball option, but remaining in the Big East is best for both programs. It is no coincidence that UConn won another national title this year, after returning to its conference roots. Its strength lies in its foundation, and that foundation is in the Big East. All of that said, this doesn’t mean that university higher-ups won’t pack up the basketball teams and shuffle them off somewhere else should another conference come calling down the road.
As for Gonzaga, there is no arguing that the Zags were very much interested in moving. And the school still would love to find a landing spot for its premiere basketball team. The West Coast Conference has done what it can to recognize the disparity between Mark Few’s program and everyone else. Four years ago the league reworked its NCAA Tournament share payout to reward teams that win games beyond the first round a larger slice of the pie — an obvious nod to Gonzaga’s success. And the league also announced a recent streaming deal with ESPN.
But losing BYU is another blow to the conference’s overall competitiveness, and the Zags would love to move. Without football, they just aren’t easy to move. The Big East, ironically, would be the most logical spot. As a Catholic, basketball-first school, Gonzaga is an ideal match … except for location. While joining as a basketball-only member might be doable if not ideal, there’s not a great appetite from the league side — at least not right now — to stretch its borders from New York to Spokane. —
O’Neil
