Big 12 football: 3 schools the conference should add along with UConn
It looks like the Big 12 football conference is still on the prowl for more expansion routes after it added four new schools to the mix in 2023. A report from Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated on May 15 mentioned that the UConn Huskies are on the radar of the Big 12 and commissioner Brett Yormark as the administration weighs its next potential options in conference realignment.
The Boardroom’s Russell Steinberg also reported in a tweet on May 19 that Yormark visited UConn’s campus recently and met with the administration for the Huskies.
It’s clear that UConn is the next top target for the Big 12 as the administration tries to stay out front of the conference realignment conversation compared to other P5 competition such as the ACC and PAC-12.
The Big 12, PAC-12, and ACC are all in difficult positions at the moment trying to stay at the forefront of conference realignment. The ACC is trying to deal with the seven schools that are exploring ways to get out of the current rights contract (including Florida State, Clemson, and UNC).
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark was recently on UConn's campus and met with the administration, a source confirms. They stress that this was "very exploratory" and does not mean anything is imminent. @boardroom
— Russell Steinberg (@Russ_Steinberg) May 19, 2023
Meanwhile, the PAC-12 already lost the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins to the Big Ten starting in 2024. Last but not least, the Big 12 lost the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners to the SEC also starting in 2024.
Big 12 football expansion candidates worth considering with UConn
So, how can the Big 12 proceed to stay ahead of its competition among the other P5 conferences in realignment this offseason? Here’s a look at three more expansion candidates the Big 12 should consider along with UConn.
As Big 12 meetings arrive this week, expansion talks are expected to take center stage among ADs & school presidents.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) May 29, 2023
That includes on-going discussions with Gonzaga, among others, as commissioner Brett Yormark pursues a 14 or 16-team conference.https://t.co/iOSXvDRJZl
Gonzaga
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are already in talks with the Big 12 to at least kick the tires on the idea of these two linking up in the next round of conference expansion.
The fact that the Big 12 is in conversation with UConn and Gonzaga about potential conference expansion signals to me that the leadership is taking a hoops angle to realignment this time around. UConn isn’t a great football program by any means and Gonzaga doesn’t even have one.
Yet, Gonzaga and UConn are two of the very best basketball programs in the entire country. And given the strength that the Big 12 already has in men’s hoops, it makes some sense that Yormark and the conference’s leadership are taking this angle to potentially separate themselves from the rest of the P5 in a unique way.
As the Big 12 has met with UConn a couple of times in the last two or three weeks, there appear to be ongoing conversations with Gonzaga simultaneously. We will continue to monitor the status of these discussions as they move along this summer.