Arizona could get a new rival in the conference, as Ross Delenger of Yahoo Sports reported on Friday: “Sources: UConn and Big 12 in serious negotiations about the Huskies joining as the newest expansion member.” The addition of Connecticut would make the best basketball conference in the country even stronger.
Connecticut would instantly become the best women’s basketball team in the Big XII. The question with UConn joining the Big XII is how well they would do in football. Connecticut and West Virginia have long been rivals in the Big East Conference.
Dellenger reported “UConn representatives visited Big 12 athletic administrators in Dallas last week. Although nothing is imminent, the in-person presentation is a sign of the seriousness of the talks.” Big XII Commissioner Brett Yormark is scheduled to make a similar presentation to league presidents next week.
Dellenger said expansion of the Big XII would need to be approved by 75 percent of league members, or 12 of the 16 programs. Connecticut would join the conference for all sports except football no later than 2026, Dellenger said. UConn would join the Big XII for football in 2031 if it meets certain investment thresholds.
UConn officials personally visited Big 12 ADs in Dallas last week as the school and conference continue to engage in serious expansion negotiations, sources say @YahooSports.
UConn would join in all sports, but FB would have a runway before full membership in 2031https://t.co/MKTvH2oQFK
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) 23 August 2024
The Big XII wants to wait until 2031 to add UConn to the football conference, which is when the next television contract begins. There is always the possibility that teams could leave the conference between now and 2031. The ACC, Big 10 and SEC could always seek expansion in the future.
Dellenger said UConn would not receive a full share of revenue from the Big XII. The Big XII would expand its presence in almost every part of the country by adding UConn. The only thing missing for the Big XII in the continental United States is the Pacific Time Zone.
West Virginia, which is over 500 miles from UConn, would be the closest Big XII school. West Virginia has won seven of the eight meetings with UConn in football. Arizona has never played UConn in football. Arizona’s men’s and women’s basketball teams have had some memorable games against UConn.
By Dellenger “As the last remaining independent football program in the country – with the exception of underdog Notre Dame – UConn receives the smallest share of College Football Playoff revenue.” The Big XII’s addition of UConn would be Yorkmark’s latest aggressive move.
Next. Arizona rose in the Big XII power rankings in the spring. Arizona rose in the Big XII power rankings in the spring. dark
The Big XII has also been in intensive negotiations with Allstate Insurance for a naming rights deal for the conference, and Yormark has been negotiating with private equity firms for deals that could be worth as much as $50 million per school. Yormark has been a consistent advocate to ensure that the Big XII does not suffer the same fate as the Pac-12.
