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I've heard supposed experts say that UConn won't be accepted in the Big 12 because it's too difficult/expensive for non-revenue sports. Beyond the fact that it's really no different than going to Morgantown (once you have to get on a plane the flight isn't that much longer and Storrs is closer to the nearest airport), the real reason this isn't a problem is the small number of sports involved.
The Big 12 sponsors 17 sports. Of those, UConn doesn't offer 3: Equestrian, Gymnastics and Wrestling.
An additional 5 sports compete in regional multi-school tournaments/invitational events and the Big 12 only offers a championship tournament at the end of the season: Cross-country, Golf, Rowing, Swimming/Diving and Track & Field. So, no travel to Storrs.
Now we are down to 9 sports. Two of those, Baseball and Softball, generally start the season in the south anyway (UConn could find a central location in Texas rather than travelling to the Carolinas or Florida) and when they do travel north the teams play 3 game weekend sets, making the travel more justifiable than a single game. Furthermore, only 7 current schools play Softball so the number of trips is fairly small.
The remainder are: MBB, WBB, FB, Women's soccer, Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis and Volleyball. Only 6 current schools play Men's Tennis (versus 10 for Women's Tennis) so it's not a pre-requisite to compete in the league. I could see UConn dropping both or finding regional competition.
There really isn't that much of a travel issue. For many at UConn a bigger issue is what to do about Men's Soccer (no Big 12 Men's Soccer league).
The Big 12 sponsors 17 sports. Of those, UConn doesn't offer 3: Equestrian, Gymnastics and Wrestling.
An additional 5 sports compete in regional multi-school tournaments/invitational events and the Big 12 only offers a championship tournament at the end of the season: Cross-country, Golf, Rowing, Swimming/Diving and Track & Field. So, no travel to Storrs.
Now we are down to 9 sports. Two of those, Baseball and Softball, generally start the season in the south anyway (UConn could find a central location in Texas rather than travelling to the Carolinas or Florida) and when they do travel north the teams play 3 game weekend sets, making the travel more justifiable than a single game. Furthermore, only 7 current schools play Softball so the number of trips is fairly small.
The remainder are: MBB, WBB, FB, Women's soccer, Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis and Volleyball. Only 6 current schools play Men's Tennis (versus 10 for Women's Tennis) so it's not a pre-requisite to compete in the league. I could see UConn dropping both or finding regional competition.
There really isn't that much of a travel issue. For many at UConn a bigger issue is what to do about Men's Soccer (no Big 12 Men's Soccer league).