Arkansas Future Schedules Hinge on Big Decision for UConn

Big 12, ACC fight for non-football power unexpected hinge on which Razorback basketball, football swings

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – While Arkansas fans watched helplessly as eventual national champion UConn crushed the Razorbacks' dreams of a third consecutive appearance in the Elite 8, very few probably could have named the Big East as the Huskies' conference and even less could have said with confidence whether UConn still fields a football team. 

Much like Gonzaga, one of several No. 1 teams Eric Musselman's Razorbacks have knocked off the past couple of seasons, UConn is a prime basketball property that on paper shouldn't factor much into the craziness of conference realignment. The Huskies are a half to a three-quarter step above Arkansas in basketball, and has been on par with Arkansas and Tennessee in leading the nation in wins over the past five full baseball seasons. The Huskies actually have five more wins than the Razorbacks over the past two seasons. However, basketball and baseball don't drive television contract negotiations. 

That's why it's probably a little shocking to know the hottest girl at the college athletics dance right now appears to be UConn. The Big 12 has made no secret it has had frequent talks with the Huskies about being a target to join the geographically sprawling league. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark recognizes the power of basketball in his conference and is looking to lean into it. That's why UConn, one of the most valuable college basketball brands in history, is at the top of the list. And while the Huskies bring literally nothing from a brand standpoint on the football field, they do bring a dense area of television sets in their vicinity in the Northeast. 

It almost seemed like a done deal for the Huskies to leave the Big East for the more financially lucrative waters of the Big 12. That is until yesterday when ACC commissioner James Phillips, hoping to talk about anything other than his most prominent teams wanting to leave the conference and his involvement in everything that went down in the Northwestern scandal, made a public announcement declaring the ACC open for expansion also. 

Being one of the few conferences still able to read a map, the ACC will most likely keep itself confined to the general eastern part of the country. If Notre Dame suddenly has a change of heart about conference affiliation, it jumps to the front of the line. However, outside of that unlikelihood, UConn immediately jumps to the top of the list for the same reasons it's desirable to the Big 12. 

The ACC has slipped a little bit on the college basketball front, which has been its bread and butter. Injecting UConn into the mix immediately brings that profile back to full national prominence, placing the ACC back on par with the Big 12. UConn vs. North Carolina and Duke at least four, possibly six times per year during a time on the calendar when cash strapped networks like ESPN are desperate to add large numbers of eyeballs is highly valuable to a league trying to hold it together by adding to the coffers.

If it comes down to money, the easy choice is the Big 12. Yormark's conference recently negotiated a deal that pays a reported $380 million per year, which exceeds the SEC's $300 million per year deal. The Big 12 also gets to the negotiating table for a second contract before both the SEC and ACC. The ACC finds itself stuck in a deal that pays $240 million per year through 2036. 

On its face, that's a lot of money to leave on the table. However, there's also the financial and non-financial value of playing games regionally to factor in, especially when it comes to non-revenue sports. The longest trip in the ACC is around 1,300 miles, with a large chunk of the schedule around 300 miles or less. The closest school in the Big 12 is 500 miles away. The second closest school is Cincinnati at 800 miles followed by Iowa State, which is just a few miles short of the longest ACC trip of 1,300 miles to Miami. 

Sending the soccer team to Texas Tech notches just shy of 2,000 miles. Same for a weekend baseball trip to Boulder to face Colorado. If Arizona joins as expected, that's over 5,000 miles round-trip for a weeknight basketball conference game. Both the men and women's basketball teams draw a lot of money, but that's a lot of jet fuel. At the moment, it's around $20,000 per trip just in fuel if the team can access a private jet. That's not paying the pilot and crew or any of the other expenses tied to team travel. It adds up quickly.

There's also the physical and mental toll of dragging players and coaches across the country for 6-7 hours on a plane each time the team hits the road in conference. That's tough on academics and also difficult on ensuring players are in their best health when they take the floor or field each night. It's a high price. 

The other issue to consider is how likely it is Arkansas finds itself playing teams like Clemson and Florida State by the end of this decade. Those two schools, plus a few others, including North Carolina and Miami, have expressed a desire to find a new home. Adding UConn, plus another high profile school over the next few years could go a long way toward preventing that, but, at the moment, it seems Florida State and Clemson already seem themselves as members of the SEC. That train might be too far down the track to turn around. Plus, who would be the other team?

Outside of Notre Dame, there is no other team of value out there. Had the ACC been proactive, it might could have lured in Central Florida, Cincinnati and West Virginia, but that ship has sailed. The Big 12 not only out-maneuvered the Pac-12 with its open door policy and aggressive negotiation tactics on the TV side, the ACC got out-maneuvered also. The Big 12 may not have only dropped a nail into one conference coffin, it may have finished off two. 

If UConn decides to go the ACC route, it will make for a fun atmosphere when Arkansas and UConn hook up in the ACC/SEC Challenge. If not, Clemson and Florida State in Fayetteville in 2030 sounds like a good time too. Razorback fans win no matter what UConn decides.

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