Report: Big 12 targeting UConn addition, sets meeting for 'in-depth discussion'
At Big 12 Media Days in July, Brett Yormark reiterated the conference is “open for business” as he enters Year 3 as commissioner. According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand and Justin Williams, further expansion could be back in play.
UConn is once again a target for the Big 12, and the conference has set a meeting for an “in-depth discussion,” The Athletic reported. The Huskies were previously a potential target for the league last calendar year before the “Four Corners” schools – Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah – all came on board in a groundbreaking round of conference realignment.
If the Big 12 was to add UConn, it would require a supermajority with a presidential vote. That means 12 of the 16 presidents would have to be in favor of such a move.
According to The Athletic, there’s an interesting ripple if the Big 12 brings in UConn. The Huskies’ football team – which would be at the center of such a move – wouldn’t be able to join until the next media rights deal starts. The Big 12 signed a $2.28 billion extension with FOX and ESPN that takes effect in July 2025 and runs through 2031.
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Brett Yormark confirmed previous UConn pursuit
Yormark previously confirmed he had discussions with both UConn and Gonzaga as he seeks to improve the Big 12’s basketball brand, but those went on hold with the four additions from the Pac-12. In fact, he called it the “dream scenario,” which is why he shifted his focus.
“I did have conversations with UConn and Gonzaga,” Yormark said on the Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast in August 2023. “Unfortunately, you know, things didn’t work out only because the dream scenario unfolded for us. So, those conversations are no longer. I’m a big admirer of both, those programs are fantastic for all the right reasons.
“But right now, you know, I’m focused on the transition of those four (schools) in right now. And also, how do I leverage the fact that (we have a) 16-team league in 10 states with 90 million people in four different time zones? So that’s my focus right now.”
UConn’s men’s basketball team made history this past season with its second consecutive title. The Huskies became the first men’s basketball team to repeat since Billy Donovan’s Florida teams in 2006 and 2007. After the year, coach Dan Hurley received high-level interest from the Los Angeles Lakers before opting to stay in Storrs and likely land a lucrative extension.