my too-early wild idea
UConn football is a pink sheet stock. nobody wants us if they can help it. I have basically given up on getting an official offer to a P4. And we'll never accept a G5 all-sports offer.
Therefore, It will take a "last-option" situation for some G5 conference to seriously consider giving the official offer to UConn FB. But i sense it could be on the horizon. So i imagine the following sequence:
1) Pac12 successfully steals the biggest brands/football programs from MWC and AAC
2) MWC/AAC reach an agreement to join forces - neither is valuable enough alone anymore, if tulane/memphis/UNLV leave
3) UConn gets a (verbal/unofficial) offer to join MW/AAC for all sports (all or nothing, surprise surprise)
4) UConn counters with football only, because we've seen this "all sports" movie before (AAC-UConn)
5) MWC/AAC play hardball until they cant anymore and agree to invite just football, but for crapton less money than the other programs. They need bodies, and we're a body, even if a dead one.
6) we take it because we have no options and need some sort of path to the playoff, even if miniscule.
7) stay there and try to get better at football, to get the coveted P4 invite for all sports.
8) Protect bball, keep winning meaningfully every year (if not nat'l titles), to keep the brand power up while football rehabs in a G5.