UConn Basketball: Impact of Huskies rejoining the Big East Conference

By Brian Rauf | Jun 22, 2019

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 15: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 15: Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts as the Connecticut Huskies bench celebrates after the Huskies rebound in the first half of the game against Syracuse Orange during the 2k Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden on November 15, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

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ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 11: during the final game of the 2018 AAC Basketball Championship against at Amway Center on March 11, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

Impact on the American

The American comes out as the biggest loser in this situation.

Yes, UConn hasn’t mattered in the conference’s football picture (other than being a virtually guaranteed win for the likes of UCF, Houston, and Memphis) and hasn’t factored into the men’s basketball picture in recent years, but they are the biggest name brand in the conference.

Everyone else in the American was previously in a mid-major conference (save for Cincinnati and South Florida, both of whom also came from the Big East as lesser names) and joined the American in an effort to form something of a super mid-major conference that would be recognized as a power conference. That never happened, but having a program like UConn was bringing some validation to the basketball side of things.

This is a bad time for this blow to the American, too. Houston has emerged as a consistent national program under Kelvin Sampson, Memphis will be a preseason top 10 team and is on the upswing under Penny Hardaway, and Wichita State will be back in the NCAA Tournament picture following a rebuilding year. UCF also gave the conference some momentum with their near upset of Duke in the second round.

That quest to become recognized as a power appeared to be coming to fruition in basketball. The rise of several quality basketball programs – coupled with UConn’s budding rebuild under Danny Hurley – was going to make the conference a national player on the hardwood.

That may not happen now with UConn’s exit, even if all of those other teams continue to be successful.