Though at the moment it looks like it'll be a one-off move, the Big Ten's addition of USC and UCLA has caused every Power 5 school to evaluate their place in the world. Clemson and Florida State to the SEC? Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten? The Arizona schools, Colorado and Utah to the Big 12? SMU to the ACC?
UConn to.... anywhere?
Anywhere they want, according to Connecticut governor Ned Lamont.
In a Q&A forum with constituents, Governor Lamont was asked if the state's flagship school would find a new home, and he responded with an absolute haymaker of a take.
They’re good enough to join any conference they want, unless other teams are afraid of them. https://t.co/V7kuOdUrRi
— Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) July 12, 2022
The same UConn football program that was essentially abandoned along the side of the road by its own university in favor of the basketball teams.
The same UConn that doesn't presently have a bowl contract should the team achieve eligibility.
The same UConn that hasn't won more than three games since 2015 and that hasn't posted a winning record since 2010.
The same UConn with one New Year's Six bowl appearance, a 48-20 loss to a 2010 Oklahoma team that wasn't among Bob Stoops's 10 best.
The point here isn't to disparage UConn. The Huskies hired Jim Mora over the winter. They're aware of the problem and they're doing their best to fix it.
The point is to congratulate Governor Lamont's unwavering faith and irrational confidence in his Huskies. Are the Power 5 conferences ignoring UConn?
No, they're ducking them.