I think he has a source, but it isn't a Big Ten guy and they don't really have dinner. I think it is someone with contacts that doesn't want to be exposed. In all likelihood, he is spot on.
ESPN not only invested in the ACC and the B1G but they want to keep the AAC intact and on the cheap. Ultimately, the Big12 is very similar to the AAC when you remove the top two schools. ESPN thinks they can grow the AAC and get UT and OU into one of their other conferences (ACC, B1G). This would be cheaper and have a much better ROI. They can fold the remainder into the AAC creating a great 6th conference.
Fox sees an opportunity to grow the Big12 and have a major conference for the future. At the same time, they know to do that they need major East Coast markets.
We have a big brand and ESPN pretends we don't whenever CR comes around. They publish one article after another bashing our attendance, weather and football for no apparent reason. More shocking, the stories aren't even true. For instance, is it that much colder in Storrs than Iowa? Is our attendance bad? Not compared to every other G5 school in contention, it's better. Is our football bad? Under Pasqualoni yes, but not under Edsall and Diaco beat Houston last year. Our football facilities are better than 75% of P5 schools.
If Fox is behind this, we will be in the B12 or we will move the other sports back to the Big East (FOX). One way or another, it is time to get away from ESPN. If they want to keep us, they can get us into the ACC or B1G or they can give the AAC extra money earmarked for us like Boise gets in the MWC. If we aren't getting upgraded, it is time to do something about it. None of us can take this much beyond September. It is a distraction that hurts the fans. I can't be too pumped up for football season when the hammer could drop any second. We are being used by ESPN and that is the only answer. You think the AAC is a snow show now, imagine it without UConn.
