Big East Basketball: 6 potential options to replace UConn if they leave for Big 12

Wichita State

Wichita State departed the MVC for the AAC back in 2017 and the move has had mixed results. Gregg Marshall led this program to incredible heights (including a Final Four) while in the MVC, but their success has been lessened in the AAC, especially since Marshall’s firing three years ago. The Shockers are by no means a bad program these days, but they just haven’t fit right in the AAC.

Since they’re a great basketball school without a football team, would they fit better in the Big East? The Shockers spent much of the 2010’s being perhaps the best mid-major program in all of college basketball and might’ve worked better jumping directly to the Big East during the last round of realignment. However, they are another public university, plus they are located quite a bit west of the other schools currently in the league.

Wichita State’s recent seasons in basketball don’t exactly measure up to that previous decade, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t win consistently in the Big East. They have alumni and fan support and would bring the Wichita and potentially other TV markets into the conference. Being the one AAC program without a football team, they’re a pretty ideal fit, though they might pair better with one or two of the other schools on today’s list.

We’ve completed our look at these six schools, knowing that everything we have now is nothing more than rumors. Is there a school that we didn’t mention that you think would work in the Big East? What does the future hold for Connecticut and for this conference?