CBS Sports college basketball insiders Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander spent a month surveying 100-plus Division I men’s basketball coaches for our annual Candid Coaches series. They polled across the sport’s landscape: some of the biggest names in college basketball, but also small-school assistants in low-major leagues. Coaches agreed to share unfiltered opinions in exchange for anonymity. We asked them 10 questions, and will post the results over a three-week span.
Nearly all universities with Division I football programs would eagerly join what’s traditionally been called a “Power Five” conference if given the opportunity.
But would UConn do it? And should UConn do it?
Those are questions with some complicated answers.
On one hand, UConn accepting an invitation to join a league like the Big 12 or ACC would prove more financially lucrative, which is why some might see any move as a no-brainer. But, on the other hand, arguably no school has as much of its basketball identity tied to a conference as UConn’s basketball identity is tied to the Big East, which is why the school decided years ago to abandon the American Athletic Conference and rejoin the Big East even at the expense of turning its football program into an independent.
As you likely heard, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark recently acknowledged that his league has had conversations with UConn — but that those conversations are no longer happening because the Big 12 achieved his “dream scenario” and lured Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State from the Pac-12. In other words, the Big 12 is likely done expanding, at least for now. And there are no indications that the ACC is looking at UConn, at least not now.
Regardless, realignment is never actually stopped for good; conversations could start or restart at any moment. So, with that in mind, we asked roughly 100 college coaches the following question:
What is best for UConn: Stay in the Big…
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