Philly Inquirer: Sources say Rutgers telling recruits RU to Big 10 sooner rather than later

Want a shot of some booze?

Butchy, you may be right that we are where we are now partly because of our association with St. Johns and Georgetown. But that was from the 1980s through ~2000 at the latest. Our upward trajectory since the '90s has been because of people like Lew Perkins, Phil Austin and now Susan Herbst. More importantly, it has much more to do with Jim Calhoun, Geno Auriemma, UConn 2000 / 21st century UConn, the state legislature and John Rowland, and even Randy Edsall, than it does with Providence, Seton Hall and the rest.

This isn't marriage we're talking about. It's not 'till death do us part. It's business. And we are growing apart from our old conference mates, and the new conference mates have some potential, but it's limited. Very, very limited. To say otherwise is to have the rosiest of rose colored glasses on, at best. There is nothing wrong about letting your eye wander to other potential partners, in fact, it would be in the best interest of the university - financially, athletically, academically - for Herbst and the trustees to do just that. Herbst, the athletic department, and the trustees have a fiduciary duty to put UConn in the best position possible, and they're going to do that.

I've already written paragraphs on academics and you don't seem concerned with that as much so I won't waste more pixels on it here. But I will say if we have a chance to decide if we're going to stay or go, whatever athletic benefits Houston, Boise, Memphis have to offer aren't going to be enough to overcome the athletic and academic benefits if the B10 or ACC (or even the B12) come calling.

Onward and upward.

Also, getting back to the OP, didn't we also do the "sources say" think a while ago?

I already know of business and academic factors in moving to new conferences. Why do you think we went into the Big East in the first place? We've become a power, thanks to joining the Big East. Otherwise, we'd still be where UMass is, probably trying to get into the MAC. Time will tell where we end up next. I am not one of those who panic and think we might be left in the lurch. Completely confident about our future.

Only SMU and Houston, years ago, were in a major conference, the SWC. They were left behind when the B12 was formed. Cincy, UL and Memphis have always been floating around temporary associations like the Metro and CUSA, as well as being independents in football. We added a few last time out of necessity. Now they outnumber us. This was not the vision for upgrading football, and would never have gotten the backing necessary to pay for it over ten years ago.

So true. People forget that the Big East was "UConn and" for that entire decade. UConn and Nova for a couple, UConn and G'town, UConn and SJU, UConn and Cuse...

There is a Buddhist saying. Once you cross a river, you don't carry the boat around with you for the rest of your land journey. You leave it in the water.