Key tweets, and it's all gone to Hell.

[Chonky]

Locking in my prediction:

Texas State > PAC
UTEP and NMSU > MW
UConn football only > PAC
Gonzaga basketball et al > PAC

UConn annual basketball game with Gonzaga plus one additional PAC game.

No or limited exit fee for us.

Done by Friday night.

No one wants 8. No stability.

Texas St and UTEP to PAC
NMSU and a Dakota FCS to MWC

—Pause—

PAC wants Gonzaga as a 10th all sport member. With us to complement as a FB tenth. Gonzaga balks cuz this PAC ain’t what they envisioned. This drags out awhile.

MWC sits awhile cuz they have no choice. It’s really not an attractive conference anymore for an upgrade for, say, NIU.

Eventually they both get to 10 somehow. 50/50 it involves us and Gonzaga.

 

[BlueHen]

Locking in my prediction:

Texas State > PAC
UTEP and NMSU > MW
UConn football only > PAC
Gonzaga basketball et al > PAC

UConn annual basketball game with Gonzaga plus one additional PAC game.

No or limited exit fee for us.

Done by Friday night.

Works for me.

I like the cut of your jib.

 

[shizzle787]

Locking in my prediction:

Texas State > PAC
UTEP and NMSU > MW
UConn football only > PAC
Gonzaga basketball et al > PAC

UConn annual basketball game with Gonzaga plus one additional PAC game.

No or limited exit fee for us.

Done by Friday night.

The fourth one in the parlay I'm not buying. I don't think Gonzaga looks the Pac-12 and jumps.

 

[WrenchFan69]

No one wants 8. No stability.

Texas St and UTEP to PAC
NMSU and a Dakota FCS to MWC

—Pause—

PAC wants Gonzaga as a 10th all sport member. With us to complement as a FB tenth. Gonzaga balks cuz this PAC ain’t what they envisioned. This drags out awhile.

MWC sits awhile cuz they have no choice. It’s really not an attractive conference anymore for an upgrade for, say, NIU.

Eventually they both get to 10 somehow. 50/50 it involves us and Gonzaga.

I think the PAC wants 8 + us and Gonzaga, giving 8 conference games for football and 16 for basketball.

 

[UConn Dan]

The fourth one in the parlay I'm not buying. I don't think Gonzaga looks the Pac-12 and jumps.

Agree that’s the toughest call from the outside but Brett McMurphy/Action Network are sticking by their source and reporting that Gonzaga to PAC is done deal so there’s that gnawing at me.

 

[shizzle787]

Agree that’s the toughest call from the outside but Brett McMurphy/Action Network are sticking by their source and reporting that Gonzaga to PAC is done deal so there’s that gnawing at me.

The Gonzaga AD shooting it down directly makes me think it's not going to happen.

 

[WrenchFan69]

The Gonzaga AD shooting it down directly makes me think it's not going to happen.

The Gonzaga AD said "the reporting was inaccurate" when the question was "are you going to the PAC." That's as non-committal as it gets. Likely just not in a position to announce it, rather than it not happening.

 

[WrenchFan69]

 

[UConn Dan]

The Gonzaga AD shooting it down directly makes me think it's not going to happen.

My take is that they were going PAC 12 but still attempting one last swing at Big 12.

 

[Chonky]

My take is that they were going PAC 12 but still attempting one last swing at Big 12.

Hmmm
Sounds familiar.

 

[Drew]

My take is that they were going PAC 12 but still attempting one last swing at Big 12.

 

[NEforceUConn]

Locking in my prediction:

Texas State > PAC
UTEP and NMSU > MW
UConn football only > PAC
Gonzaga basketball et al > PAC

UConn annual basketball game with Gonzaga plus one additional PAC game.

No or limited exit fee for us.

Done by Friday night.

Hope so by Friday. Not sure how much longer my bender can go without calling in the EMTs.

 

[ZooCougar]

My take is that they were going PAC 12 but still attempting one last swing at Big 12.

Or they want the PAC 12 to pay the exit fee.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I may be changing my mind here on who I want in the PAC with us. Texas St has a bunch of positives, but I just really like UTEP. I wonder if separating them from NM State could be a problem? Maybe PAC gets UTEP, Texas St stays in the Sun Belt, Sac St moves up to join the MWC with NM St?

UTEP has been slowly shrinking in terms of brand/name recognition and the growth of Texas St and UTSA has not helped on that front.

NM St by all rights should do what Idaho did and drop down. They will never be competitive in football at even the lowest FBS level beyond perhaps a stray moment here and there.

 

[WrenchFan69]

 

[WrenchFan69]

 

[WrenchFan69]

I think this is absolutely shaping up for us to join as a football-only member. They just need to sign up the 8th school and work out whatever details they need to with Gonzaga.

 

[huskymedic]

Debated where to drop this but since it has AD Dave talking - this spot will do:



-> UConn Huskies' Strategic Moves in Conference Realignment: What Lies Ahead? The UConn Huskies, with their formidable basketball brand and prime media market position, are poised for significant shifts as conferences realign. Athletic Director David Benedict is steering the team towards both immediate success and future stability.

Explore how NIL and revenue sharing are transforming UConn's recruitment strategies, allowing them to compete with Power 5 schools, especially in football. The episode delves into UConn's brand evolution, highlighting their national recognition and competitive facilities. While an on-campus football stadium isn't on the horizon, the focus remains on leveraging Rentschler Field. Challenges in supporting non-revenue sports are addressed, with UConn's commitment to maintaining competitiveness across all sports.

Join us for an engaging discussion on UConn Huskies' path to success and the strategic decisions shaping their future. Listen now for exclusive insights and expert analysis. <-

 

[Kolumbo]

I think this is absolutely shaping up for us to join as a football-only member. They just need to sign up the 8th school and work out whatever details they need to with Gonzaga.

If you are referring to the MWC, I believe they get the 2-year grace period to get back to 8 programs. They should immediately go ahead and invite UConn and Gonzaga because the next full-time member would be sure to follow. Not that I would be very excited about joining the MWC in football. PAC, sure. Same situation. Strike while the iron is hot.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

If you are referring to the MWC, I believe they get the 2-year grace period to get back to 8 programs. They should immediately go ahead and invite UConn and Gonzaga because the next full-time member would be sure to follow. Not that I would be very excited about joining the MWC in football. PAC, sure. Same situation. Strike while the iron is hot.

This is a good point. In theory, UConn has two options. Could come down to money/exit fee.

 

[ninety-nine]

Question: Can UConn join a reformulated Pac-12 (or Pac-8, Pac-10) without violating its contract with the Big East? Under the terms of the 2019 deal, UConn agreed not to seek football membership in a Power Five conference. Even though a new Pac-12 would in practice function as a G5-type conference, can the Big East still interfere with the deal and demand large penalty fees because of the Pac-12 name and its legacy as a P-5?

 

[jostar1]

Question: Can UConn join a reformulated Pac-12 (or Pac-8, Pac-10) without violating its contract with the Big East? Under the terms of the 2019 deal, UConn agreed not to seek football membership in a Power Five conference. Even though a new Pac-12 would in practice function as a G5-type conference, can the Big East still interfere with the deal and demand large penalty fees because of the Pac-12 name and its legacy as a P-5?

I believe that was only for the first 2 or 3 years after UConn joined the Big East. I'll try to find the documentation or maybe someone else has it.

 

[KryHavok]

I believe that was only for the first 2 or 3 years after UConn joined the Big East. I'll try to find the documentation or maybe someone else has it.

From the first page of the UConn Big East Agreement:

From page 3:

 

[KryHavok]

continued from pages 4 and 5:

That captures most of the football mentions in the document. The execution date was June 26, 2019, assuming the document I have is legit.

 

[jostar1]

From the first page of the UConn Big East Agreement:

View attachment 103748
From page 3:
View attachment 103749

Thanks. The prohibition was only for the period of time when we agreed to join and when we actually joined. We could not talk to a Power 5 conference about joining.

The real penalty is in the exit fees. $30M if UConn departs within the first six years, $15M for years seven through nine, and $10M at year 10 and after.