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The Big 12 is already a strong basketball conference and would become even stronger with the addition of UConn.
Perhaps that’s what the conference’s presidents and athletic directors had in mind Monday, as ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported they met to discuss the possible addition of the Huskies as part of an expansion during a conference call “of an informational nature.”
No vote was taken, although Thamel noted that talks were expected to continue.
Basketball would be the selling point for this new addition, which is unlike some other conference transfers of late.
Football has been the driving force behind much of the conference realignment in recent years, and the Big 12 can attest to that after top teams Texas and Oklahoma left the association and joined the SEC.
Although the conference added Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah in the offseason, it can easily be argued that it is now stronger in men’s basketball than on the court.
Kansas and Arizona are two of the best teams in the sport, while others like Houston, Iowa State, Baylor, Texas Tech and West Virginia have had success. Cincinnati, which joined before last season, also has a longer tradition in basketball than in football.
UConn would be the ultimate addition in basketball, having dominated on both the men’s and women’s sides.
The Huskies have won two consecutive men’s national championships and have six overall championships in the program’s history. And anything less than a Final Four is almost a failure for Geno Auriemma’s women’s program, which has an impressive 23 Final Four appearances and 11 championships.
Some of the most famous female basketball players in history played for the Huskies, including Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Tina Charles and Rebecca Lobo.
Currently, the Big 12 basketball series with its current team roster is a must-watch.
Adding a top team like UConn would mean even more headlines and watchable matchups, something that presidents and athletic directors will surely consider.
