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UConn Basketball: Impact of Huskies rejoining the Big East Conference

By Brian Rauf

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)
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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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 14: James Farr #2 of the Xavier Musketeers and Daniel Ochefu #23 of the Villanova Wildcats jump for the opening tip during the championship game of the Big East basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 14, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 14: James Farr #2 of the Xavier Musketeers and Daniel Ochefu #23 of the Villanova Wildcats jump for the opening tip during the championship game of the Big East basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 14, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/Getty Images) /

Impact on the Big East

The Big East has been better off than almost everyone thought they would be post-realignment.

The “Catholic Seven” featuring DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John’s, and Villanova all spun off from the “Old Big East” and were joined by Butler, Creighton, and Xavier to form the basketball-only conference it is now. Many of the programs have risen to new heights over the past six seasons, keeping the Big East among the nation’s best basketball conferences.

Villanova has become a blueblood and won two national titles. Xavier earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2018. Providence made five consecutive NCAA Tournaments for the first time in school history. Marquette and Seton Hall have returned to national relevancy, and everyone other than DePaul has made the Big Dance since realignment.

Yes, the “New Big East” is doing fine, but the addition of UConn will only make it better. It will add another traditional power and signature program, restoring some of the prestige the “Old Big East” reveled in. It re-ignites some old rivalries that will further boost the conference’s profile.

And, of course, there’s the nostalgia factor. As a founding member, UConn belongs in the Big East. With a portion of college basketball’s history and tradition torn up due to a nationwide realignment driven by football, this move restores some of that in the Northeast.

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The driving force behind UConn’s move is obvious. They’re giving up any hope of becoming relevant enough in football and are working to restore what they were – one of the country’s premier college basketball schools.