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Message: [QUOTE="pj, post: 1259256, member: 2524"] I see it more like the partial payouts Nebraska and Rutgers got during a phase-in period. UConn would be getting a full invite, it just would have a phase-in period while it waits for the inevitable #16 as a partner. If a full invite were given without a #16, then something would have to be done to deal with the 15 school 9 game football scheduling issue. That would require 67.5 games to be played. Either the B1G would have to go to a 10 game schedule, or UConn would have to play an altered schedule (6, 8, or 10 B1G games). I think migrating the whole B1G to a 10-game schedule is infeasible on the time scale we're talking about. If UConn football is playing a number of games that is not the same as the other schools, you have to come up with special rules to decide UConn's eligibility for bowls and the conference championship. As a new invite, surely UConn would be disadvantaged relative to the existing B1G schools. Personally, I'd love to play 10 football games in the B1G and have 1 win not count in the standings for bowl purposes; but I don't think B1G teams will want extra trips to Connecticut, so I think they go for a reduced football schedule of 6 or 8 games. If 8 games, UConn is treated as having an extra loss to judge eligibility for bowls and CCG. If 6 games, it's independent but with a formula for bowl eligibility. I think the B1G sees UConn and the northeast as strategically important and won't want to wait ten years to begin building its brand in the northeast. Waiting has two major risks: UConn's brand decays leaving the B1G without a valuable prospect in the northeast; or UConn joins another conference and becoming inaccessible. So they will add UConn early, somehow. I also think it's likely they'll need to wait 10 years or close to it to add Va Tech or whoever #16 is, as they won't want major litigation and their TV partners will not want their other properties raided. So there will be no #16 for a while. They'll have to do some special deal for UConn football. The wild card in this is AAU status. If that is really essential, then UConn is 10 years away, and the B1G will stay at 14 to give time for the GoRs to expire and UConn to prove itself in football and research. But, if they choose the waiting strategy, I believe UConn will still be a live candidate for the B1G. It won't be the case that our only chance for B1G membership is now, and if not added now we're doomed to backfill a depleted ACC. [/QUOTE]

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