Last weekend, CBS Sports reporter Matt Norlander confirmed reports that the University of Connecticut is planning to leave the American Athletic Conference to return to the Big East Conference no later than the 2020-21 season.
Mostly all of the sports played at UConn will return to the Big East except for football which is not sponsored by the Big East Conference.
CBS Sports reporter Tom Fornelli mentioned that “the AAC has no interest in keeping UConn football once the university leaves for the Big East.”
The Big reason why UConn is leaving the AAC is because of its geographical area. Currently, the only teams close to them are Navy and Temple. By rejoining the Big East, UConn will reunite competition with teams like Villanova, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Georgetown, and more.
That’s great for the other sports programs at UConn but what about football? Where can UConn take its football program after the move?
UConn can eliminate two conferences right off the bat as Dennis Dodd from CBS Sports said on Twitter that “No immediate interest from MAC or C-USA in UConn football.” Where does this leave the football program then?
They could go as an FBS Independent team, or they can head to the FCS. Three conferences could take UConn in as a football-only program. They are the Colonial Athletic Association, which has Villanova as a football-only member in their conference while Nova’s other sports are in the Big East, the Northeast Conference, and Patriot League. All three of these conferences have teams placed around them geographically that would help the program out with travel costs.
Should UConn decide to continue its football program, they should consider leaving the FBS and join one of these three conferences in the FCS. The FCS makes perfect sense for them not to consider this move. The CAA, NEC, and Patriot League would welcome their football program with open arms.
