Big 12 talks about possibly adding UConn as a member have stalled, commissioner Brett Yormark said Thursday morning.
“After detailed discussions with my conference colleagues and UConn leadership, we have jointly decided to pause our discussions for the time being,” Yormark said in a statement. “Instead, we will focus our attention and resources on ushering in this new era of college athletics.”
Last month, UConn officials met in person with Big 12 athletic directors at their league meetings in the Dallas area. The meeting included athletic director David Benedict and board chairman Daniel Toscano, sources said. It included a conversation about how UConn would invest in football to be competitive in the Big 12.
The plan for UConn would have been to enter the football league in 2031 and other sports before that.
According to sources, talks stalled and ended up being postponed due to timing. With the 16-team league’s initial season underway and schools facing looming House decisions and deciding revenue distribution, adding members simply wasn’t a priority.
The decision to postpone negotiations is not a huge surprise. When UConn emerged as part of the talks last month, there was an aura of skepticism about the Huskies' potential addition.
At the time, ESPN reported that some votes needed to be added for the league to get the votes of 12 of the 16 Big 12 presidents it would have needed to add UConn. One source summed up the conversations at the time this way:
“There's a big gap between the talks and anything that could happen,” the senior Big 12 source said.
The Huskies have long been coveted by Yormark, as he views college basketball as an undervalued asset. UConn has the best combination of men's and women's basketball teams in the country, with the men's team having won the last two national championships. It also touches the New York market, which in theory would add value to any future television deal.
Yormark said in the statement: “As Commissioner, it is my responsibility to explore a variety of value-creating opportunities on behalf of the Big 12.”
The Big 12 has been considered the most important basketball league in the country in recent seasons, which would only have been amplified with the addition of the Huskies.
UConn has played in the Big East since the 2020-21 season after playing in the American Athletic Conference from 2013-14 to 2019-20.
Similarly, the Big 12 had talks with Gonzaga, but those did not come to fruition.
