NCAA Basketball: 6 potential conference realignment scenarios

Connecticut is set to announce their return to the Big East in NCAA Basketball, leaving behind the AAC in 2020. What other moves could soon follow in terms of conference realignment?

Relevant rumors have revealed that after a brief stint in the American Athletic Conference, Connecticut will return to the Big East in 2020. This move makes a lot of sense from an NCAA Basketball perspective, though it may also indicate the Huskies’ desire to draw athletic focus away from a struggling football program. The Huskies were a dominant program the last twenty seasons under Jim Calhoun and a reunion with the Big East might be the first step in becoming a national power again.

Connecticut’s exodus will have an impact on both conferences involved. The Big East finds themselves now at 11 members, with the Huskies needing to find another avenue for their football program, since the Big East is a non-football conference. Meanwhile, the AAC loses one of their most prominent members, even if the Huskies have struggled in recent memory.

As a result, it’s very likely that there are going to be additional conference realignment moves that take place. The American will look to replace the Huskies while the Big East might add someone else to get their membership up to an even 12 teams. There are also intriguing teams and conferences around the country that might be inching towards conference-altering moves in the coming years.

We’re going to take a look at a handful of moves that could represent an initial wave of realignment. I want to reiterate that these moves are nothing more than rumors or ideas. None of these proposals are currently in the works, though all of them have certainly been brought up time and time again in recent memory. There are positives and negatives connected with each of these proposals, but we’re going to do our best to justify their effectiveness.

Without further ado, let’s get right into the realignment, starting in an unexpected place.