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Message: [QUOTE="UConn990411, post: 4657637, member: 802"] I’ve seen this comparison a few times, and it’s asinine. There are definite risks with any move to another conference - and UConn going to the Big 12 has some major ones - but it has very few parallels with the AAC. 1) The gap between the TV contracts for the AAC and NBE was nowhere near the increased payout that UConn would get from the Big 12. 2) The AAC was hurt by the perception that it was a brand-new conference (even though it was technically the Big East). Fair or not, that lack of reputation hurt its teams when it came to rankings, bowl and college basketball bids, etc. 3) The Big 12 is light years ahead of the AAC in both basketball and football, never mind some of the other sports. I actually think the AAC was highly underrated as a football conference, but it was not on par with the Big 12. 4) UConn won’t have as many OG rivals as the Big East, but there would still be a couple old friends (West Virginia and Cincy). Plus, Kansas would make for an immediate, natural basketball rival that simply didn’t exist in the AAC. 5) UConn is not in the same place it was a decade ago, when they joined the AAC. They can’t continue operating at a deficit forever, and they’ve already had to shut down a couple of teams/sports as a result. I get why you’re trying to make the Big 12/AAC, comparison, but it’s not a good one. Going to the Big 12 is far from a guaranteed success, but I stand by it being a no-brainer move. [/QUOTE]

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