There could be an emerging trend of declining relevance for the Big East and increasing leverage brought forth by the power conferences. Given the recent league executive's complacency, the Big East school Presidents should soon consider an executive change if some positive news (especially regarding existing and future anticipated revenues) does materialize in the near future. As someone previously alluded, executive delays at the Pac-12 led to a quick downward spiral and extinction.
Regarding UConn, Dave Benedict might now reconsider UConn's objective about how we might join a power conference and get more creative in how we negotiate with another conference! (maybe a unique approach specific for UConn, different from what SMU arranged financially with the ACC) Maybe UConn should revisit the known target of joining a higher revenue power conference for all sports (including football). The UConn Football program, with it's extended period of losing records, has relegated itself and the University to a less desirable status as a prospective new conference member. (Note, there is Internet chatter out there that as Florida State moves forward with separating itself from the ACC, Brett Yormark, like he did with the remaining attractive PAC-12 schools, is now contemplating the swooping in and offering of conference membership to remaining desirable ACC basketball/football schools like Duke, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Syracuse, etc., if the more desirable ACC schools do end up joining the SEC and Big10. What conference options would UConn have if that were to happen??? Maybe it's now becoming more time sensitive (in terms of basketball importance and overall relevance) for UConn to consider joining a larger conference for all sports, except football, provided that it could negotiate a subsequent football entrance when some agreed-to performance criterion is met (such as achieving a 50% winning record over a continuous 3-year period). Football is essentially by itself as it is now anyway!
