Why Join?. We beat the top teams in the ACC every year, and the SEC and the BIG12 and the B1G and the PAC12, and the BIG EAST and...
Money and tv exposure.
There is more importont things to consider in joining a league that UCONN women's basketball. And frankly we know for the long term preservation of UCONN women's basketball once Geno leaves, we are at high risk over the long term of a large tumble if we don't continue to get money and tv exposure which the P5 bring.
Look what has happened to UCONN men's basketball. Do you follow it? With Jim Calhoun - a stretch during his peak years he was in the hunt on may top ten all-american high school players and got some. Ollie is in the hunt primarily for guys in the upper teens low 20's. OFC there are names bandied about - in which he "almost got one." But the fact is, he doesn't get them. Calhoun got more a/a's or more guys that juts missed out that Ollie will over the long haul unless we go over to a p5. Once the wcbb program is not considered the number 1 or number 2 program - and there becomes other choices that are better or just as good (i.e once Geno leaves) - and the P5 get even more tv exposure and more money - if overall you think kids are going to want to go a Storrs Ct over a school or two that starts to beat us - then I think you're just wrong.
Right now Gneo is the best option for great players. But when that day comes that he retires etc - UCONN would have a short window to try to prove they still are the best- even if they are- it's high risk. And as I said before- there are other programs and academics that could benefit a great deal from the money that a p5 can provide. So joining a p% conference shouldn't be only looked at through wcbb and the Geno era, right?
Long term we need to get into a P5.