UConn, Cincinnati leaning towards Catholic 7?

[Harry]

While the football half of what remains of the Big East was conducting meetings in Dallas, hoping to keep San Diego Stateand other nervous membersin the fold, the group of 7 Catholic schools were considering the possibility which would add existing football members Connecticut and Cincinnati into the group for all sports but football.

The meeting in Dallas produced no hard decisions, but the general consensus after the meeting was that San Diego State would be remaining with the Mountain West in all sports.

If that plays itself out in the next few weeks, two more Big East members, Cincinnati and Connecticut, may be ready to depart.

According to sources at Connecticut, some UConn officials were considering a plan which would keep the Huskies with the Catholic 7Marquette, DePaul, St. Johns, Seton Hall, Georgetown, Villanova and Providence, as well as Cincinnati.

Others, including UConn Athletic director Ward Manuel, who was at the Big East meeting in Dallas, emphatically said that the Huskies intention was to keep all sports together in one league.

If the Catholic 7 , plus UConn plan was put in place, schools as Butler, Xavier and Saint Louis would be the front runners in a very powerful basketball conference.

In order to do that, however, UConn officials must find a place for football. And while nothing officially has been offered, a plan in which the Huskies and Cincinnati would have to find some place to play in football.

It seems very unlikely that staying in the Big East in football, but playing in the Catholic 7 league in basketball would be approved. The Huskies could try and make it work as an independent, but that is also not likely to happen.

Read more: http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=4719

[NorthTexan95]

Football really is different from other sports in that it can generate so much money but usually only plays once a week on the weekend. It makes some sense for SDSU to have football in the Big East and their other sports in a more local conference. That may also apply to UConn and Cincinnati. It'll be interesting if this becomes a bit of a trend.

[Arkstfan]

My theory

Story reputedly comes from UConn so while it might be true of Cincinnati I'm assuming it applies only to UConn. Feel free to add Cincy to any proposition below.

1. UConn does want to align with C7. Four of the C7 have been conference foes since 1979 and five since 1980. (or all for Cincy since 2005).
2. UConn DOES NOT want to align with the MWC.
3. UConn does not think it can go C7 and sell MAC, CUSA or Sun Belt to the fans even though the past two years the top of MAC is comparable to MWC and Big East in football having a similar number of schools in the top half of the country.
4. The timing is no accident. UConn's president did not attend the Big East meeting so it adds an element of doubt.
5. UConn does not want to propose football only for fear of damaging the relationship if this does not work.
6. UConn is just fine with creating doubt and if that doubt leads to a football only offer in Big East to keep them from going MWC then so be it.
7. If it doesn't work, UConn can laugh it off and blame it on some blogger.