Gonzaga to the Big East? UConn coach Dan Hurley hints at possible conference expansion

Big East commissioner Val Ackerman was in attendance for Gonzaga-UConn matchup in Seattle

The conference realignment talks seemingly won't die down anytime soon for the No. 10 Gonzaga Bulldogs, even during the thick of the 2023-24 nonconference schedule.

According to UConn head coach Dan Hurley, Big East commissioner Val Ackerman was in attendance at Climate Pledge Arena Friday as the Zags (8-3) fought tooth and nail in a 76-63 loss to the No. 5 Huskies (10-1).

"Maybe Gonzaga will want to join a really good basketball league," Hurley said after the game. "I know commissioner Val Ackerman was here tonight."

While Gonzaga has notably been in talks with the Big 12 over the last few months, the Big East has quietly kept tabs on the men's basketball powerhouse. During Big East Media Day in October, Ackerman said there's "no better fit for Gonzaga than the Big East" and that the two sides "stay in touch." She also added the league's presidents decided to stay at 11 members "for now," according to Front Office Sports.

To Hurley's point, the Big East has become one of the premier college basketball conferences over the last decade. The league sent five teams to the NCAA Tournament last season and compiled a 12-4 record, headlined of course by the reigning national champion Huskies, as three Big East teams advanced as far as the Sweet 16. Overall, the conference has averaged over five bids per season since it realigned in 2013, with three national champions in that span (Villanova in 2016 and 2018).

The Bulldogs have won seven of their last 10 games against Big East teams since the 2014-15 season. Two of the three defeats have come at the hands of UConn within the last calendar year.

Wherever talks with the Big 12 currently stand, it appears Gonzaga's leadership is doing its due diligence when examining the landscape of college athletics.

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