UConn’s athletic department is bleeding cash due to football. It will jump to join any of the 4 football conferences. The risk it runs is that football moves away from current structure soon after it joins. If it wants football, not an obvious decision, it can’t stay in the BE. In addition to large deficits, its facilities and football brand fall farther behind P4 schools.
No sport at Connecticut is in the black, although men's basketball may have a shot this year given that its season tickets are already sold out. Keep in mind, though that we have to pay Hurley more than the big east media distribution, in the new contract. It's fine, he's worth it.
The actual deficit is pretty much the same number as the full media distribution for the big 12. So theoretically, we could be at roughly breakeven in the Big 12.
As I noted above in this thread, Connecticut actually has great football facilities, with the exception of a new stadium on campus. That's probably a half billion dollar investment, but it's one that I think the legislature will make.
We're still ways away from Connecticut getting an invite. We know from last summer at the big 12 presidents don't want to invite anyone to the conference who isn't already in the P4 club. Can that be overcome this time? Who knows?
My attitude at this point is pretty much a shrug. It's becoming extraordinarily expensive to put on high major athletics. The P4 conferences provide a better opportunity to be able to compete in that world, the big 12 only distributes about half of what the SEC and Big Ten do. I think the move is necessary to maintain the ability of Connecticut to be able to compete at the highest levels, but as I've said before, I enjoy being back in the big east. So my attitude right now is a resigned "wait and see."
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