I would love to hear more on that @gwhuskyfan maybe you can get AD Dave back on and pick his brain lol.
From following realignment very closely, my guess is that the most realistic scenario for UConn would be to backfill to the ACC if teams like UVA and UNC get poached by the BIG10. However, maybe UConn gets added to the BIG10 with other teams if they add 4 or 6 teams in one big move to try to get the remaining valuable brands in the geographic regions that they care about. BC and UConn would certainly lock up the northeast as BIG10 territory. Would love for anyone with inside info to comment.
UNC isn't going anywhere without Duke and UVA isn't going anywhere with out Tech (we saw that when the Big East was poached the first time).
That used to be the belief, but Oklahoma state supposedly was always going to be attached to Oklahoma and that proved to be incorrect. Schools are focused on themselves and not even state politics will change that.
It would certainly help explain how UConn ended up with Mora as coach given that it seemed like he could have got much higher profile and better paying jobs. But if UConn gets into a major conference within 2-3 years and Mora turns the team around, then Mora would be looking at a huge payday and a chance to create a major legacy at UConn.
I have no "inside info" BUT I'll share this: was at my sister's house on Memorial Day for a holiday party. My brother-in-law is an FCS level game official. While at a recent officials convention, he caught up with a colleague who officiates B1G football games. The colleague said that there has been a lot of back room chatter about adding UConn in the next expansion go-around. From his lips to God's ears.
I'll accept that as inside info haha. The Michigan state AD said 2 weeks ago that there will be changes to the big 10. So the dots are starting to connect.
When he's not reffing games I assume his Monday to Friday job is working at a carwash?
Yes, but it's fun to dream about the possibilities. However, getting a good crowd at games and having a winning season would be great no matter what else happens in 2022.
How clean was his car!?
I agree that we are part of the discussion, but clearly not at the top of the list. However, we solidify the northeast region and meet most of the other criteria that they are looking for. I do think the big10 wants to take action before other conferences negotiate new TV contracts. A move to bring in 4 or 6 teams would be ideal for them. Obviously UConn and any big12 school would jump at the opportunity to join the big10. I think the question becomes whether or not ACC schools would join.
Disagree regarding, well maybe regarding both. But as to UVA and VaTech, the issue with the legislature was that they felt that VaTech was being left behind in a moribund conference. It wasn’t the UVA in VaTech were joined at the hip so much as they just wanted to make sure that they had a viable home.
I got the sense he was just talking about Oklahoma and Texas, nothing specific to UConn.
I feel like UNC and Duke are going to be a package deal always. There's too much history and money to break those two up. Just like Texas and Oklahoma.
Yeah, I agree, but, if the Big Ten said to UNC we are going to double your conference distributions, I don’t see them walking away from that if duke was not included. The Big Ten and the SEC are just different animals than everyone else right now.
I agree...he seems to be the right guy at the right time for this program.
UNC, Texas, and Oklahoma are all in a different league than Duke though. Coach K is gone, Duke is a small private school, and their football program is not good. Also, if they are attached with UNC in a move to the big10, then they don't provide additional cable boxes or recruiting territory over just adding UNC. Duke and UNC can play each other in basketball every year if they want to schedule that. The current conference changes are all business moves. For example, BYU would like to remain independent, but knows it will be left out if it doesn't get into the mix in the power conference musical chairs going on right now. Every school that has changed conferences has done it out of their own best interest and has almost completely disregarded long term rivalries and geography. The SEC adding Oklahoma and Texas was the one absolute homerun in conference realignment for both the conference and schools. Everything else has been conferences and schools making concessions somewhere with their main priorities being money and exposure for the university.