Things appear to be heating up between the back-to-back national champions in College Basketball and the Big 12 Conference. Friday, the UConn Huskies and the Big 12 were in talks about possible membership.
While the agreement would be for all sports, the big news would come in men’s and women’s basketball, where the Huskies have been the class of college basketball for a long time.
The talks were between UConn athletic director David Benedict and Big 12 athletic directors. While no agreement has been made, and no details on the talks have been disclosed, one high-ranking Big 12 official had this to say:
I think the word is ‘premature’. There’s a far distance between conversations and anything that would happen. The presidents haven’t seen the case yet.
The initial talks say the move for football would not start until the 2031 season. This would give the program an opportunity to “catch up” when it comes to terms with other Big 12 schools, and through NIL.
The Huskies have a strong presence in the New York City area and most of the East Coast. This would give the Big 12 its first real presence on the East Coast. Currently, the Big 12 has 16 teams with Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State joining this season.
Stay tuned. If this story is anything like other conference mergers, this could move quickly, and next thing you know the Huskies and Jayhawks are battling it out on the court twice a season!