Report: Big 12 in Talks to Add UConn in Potential Expansion
The Big 12 could have yet another team in the conference in the near future.
On Friday, reports surfaced from The Athletic that UConn joining the Big 12 is a legitimate possibility. Commissioner Brett Yormark has pushed for the conference to add UConn in the past, but members have pushed back. However, the issue will be up for debate again as the conference meets next week.
Before the Big 12 added its latest batch of schools from the Pac-12, Yormark had been in discussions with UConn about the school’s potential move. For the conference to expand, the current members would need to approve the move with a supermajority, as 12 of 16 teams must want UConn in. While current conference officials will meet next week, UConn has already met with the conference in Dallas last week, according to Ross Dellenger.
UConn football would not make the move to the conference at the same time as other sports, however. The Huskies football program would likely join in 2031, as it has been one of the worst in the FBS in recent years, winning only 30 games in the past 10 seasons.
Of course, the move for the Big 12 would be a basketball-centered acquisition. Dan Hurley has led the men’s team to national championships in each of the past two seasons and also won the Big East last season. If the Huskies joined the Big 12 in 2026, the conference would have a chance to enter that season with the past six national champions, considering Baylor and Kansas won in 2021 and 2022.
Meanwhile, the UConn women’s team has been a powerhouse, winning 11 of the past 30 national championships. Geno Auriemma’s team most recently won it all in 2016, when his team capped its fourth consecutive title.
Already one of the best conferences in college basketball, the Big 12 has an opportunity to make one of the biggest basketball splashes in this era of conference realignment.
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IVAN WHITE
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.