-> Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has renewed his pursuit of expansion target
UConn, with league officials set for a meeting next week where the issue will be reintroduced for in-depth discussion, multiple Big 12 administrators and broadcasting sources told
The Athletic. <-
->According to the sources, if the Big 12 did accept UConn, its football program would not join the league until the next television rights contract, or at the very least for several years. When
UMass joins the MAC next year, UConn will be one of two remaining FBS independents, along with
Notre Dame.
In order to feel comfortable adding another school, the current members will want assurance that UConn’s addition would not dilute their shares of league revenue.
The Big 12 is a year away from beginning a new six-year deal with ESPN and Fox that will pay its members an average of $31.7 million per school. The deal was agreed to before the former Pac-12 schools’ additions, but ESPN was required to pay a pro-rata share to the four Power 5 members. UConn, however, would not be guaranteed the same deal. <-