You know the Big Ten is still focused on eastward expansion, correct?
If you think they're going to get Texas, keep dreaming. UT is now bigger and more powerful than every school in the Big Ten. The Pac-12 is the conference who would bend over for UT.
I often joke with an employee where I work who is both a Ohio State (BS) and UConn (MS) graduate. After one loss I poke him in the ribs and say "I don't think Ohio State is going to make the CFB playoffs this year". He replies "UConn can go undefeated and they won't make the CFB playoffs"
When we have serious conversations about conference realignment, wearing his UConn hat he suggests that UConn to a P5 is a pipedream. Wearing his Ohio State hat, he suggests no BIG or other P5 fan wants UConn.....for a few simple reasons:
(1) Not many schools care much about, or put much effort into WBB. Of the roughly 300+ Div 1 WBB schools, maybe 20-40 "give a damn". Joe D. has often made similar comments on radio. UConn WBB doesn't carry much weight in conference realignment.
(2) College basketball only brings in about 20% of a P5 conferences total revenue. Reference BC's AD comments when voting against UConn in the 2012 ACC realignment.
(3) CFB, the sport that means the most to P5 conferences, has minimal interest in New England and New York. UConn has not shown any evidence it would produce financial revenue sources equivalent to other P5 conference members. Also, it does not have the infrastructure to support the hoards of fans that travel with P5 teams, nor do they show evidence of traveling to venues of other conference schools.
As a UConn grad, he prays for the best, but does not hold out much hope. He does not want to appear overly negative to UConn, just wants to be truthful and honest with what he hears.