Reports: Big 12 and UConn are in “serious expansion negotiations”

Multiple reports say UConn and Big 12 officials have met and remain in talks about membership, with a decision expected soon.

According to The Athletic and Yahoo Sports, leaders from the Big 12 and UConn have had multiple meetings and a decision is expected next week on a proposal to add UConn to the Power Four league as soon as 2026.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is eager to expand the conference, presenting UConn to the league’s presidents as an expansion candidate for the second time in as many years. He has also tried to add Gonzaga but those talks fizzled before getting too serious.

A supermajority of 12 out of the league’s 16 members must approve in order for the league to add a new member, and last year the vote on UConn did not pass.

So what’s changed?

The latest proposal to add UConn would not cut into the payout of the league’s current members, according to reports that include network sources. Oh, and the men’s basketball program won consecutive championships while baseball and women’s hoops are thriving on the national stage as well — the brand is arguably stronger than ever.

Perhaps the Big 12’s newest members are more keen on northward expansion, or perhaps the college sports landscape dictates that conferences expand nationally to offer as much programming across as many time zones as possible to potential TV partners. Maybe Yormark negotiated with the network partners to make UConn’s addition more attractive to current Big 12 members in other ways beyond what is being reported. It could be a combination of all of those factors.

If added to the Big 12, UConn would not immediately earn the $30+ million payout promised to league members in its newest TV rights deal, which begins in 2026. According to Action Sports’ Brett McMurphy, UConn would join for all other sports in 2026 and football would aim for 2031. UConn’s presentation to Big 12 brass reportedly stated that the football program is making the necessary investments to eventually be “Big 12 ready.”

Due to its recent performance, it’s fair to have doubts about UConn football’s ability to compete at a higher level. But with a rehabilitation plan in place and a promise to join a major league, talent levels should improve over the course of five years. UConn would have a chance on the recruiting trail against Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers, and BC, which would be a huge upgrade. Joining the Big 12 would be the biggest break for the football program since getting to join the Big East (RIP) in 2004.

The Big 12 watched Texas and Oklahoma leave last season and added Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah to bolster its ranks. It’s in a clear second tier below the Big Ten and SEC in football, now searching for an identity after the loss of its two big powers. UConn would allow the league’s biggest brands to pursue the vaunted New York City market and perhaps also boost interest with prospective students in that region.

UConn would obviously bring a lot of juice to the league’s men’s and women’s basketball. The league has a lot to offer the Huskies as well.

In men’s basketball, the Big 12 finished with the highest league rating in KenPom last season, with major powers in Kansas, Baylor, and now ‘Zona to flaunt. Houston, Cincinnati, and West Virginia bring some old rival flavors with quality programs. In women’s basketball Baylor, Colorado, Utah, Iowa State, and WVU finished in the Top 25 last year, the competition would be a significant improvement from the Big East.

The nature of college sports today has every school rushing to make as much money as possible in hopes of securing its future. UConn’s athletic department has dealt with a number of challenges over the years, and along with every school in the country has had to figure out an NIL apparatus on the fly over the last two years. Soon, they’ll also have to figure out how to find ~$20 million in student-athlete payouts that will be allowed by law.

Any power conference opportunity, even if the fit isn’t perfect, is worth pursuing.