UConn’s Benedict steady amid realignment
It would make sense on several levels, at one point, for UConn to join a conference as a football-only member, creating championship opportunities and a bowl tie-in for a program looking to re-establish a pulse.
UConn’s interests and those of a conference would have to align and there could come a time when a partnership is actually ideal.
But for the university to jump at the first wave of opportunity, or to seek membership as soon as possible in a totally unsettled landscape, the initial alignment would be in one area: desperation.
There is no match in that department right now — even after a recent exploratory conversation between UConn and Conference USA about football-only membership.
“We feel great to be in the position we’re in because we took control of what we could and positioned ourselves in a way that makes sense for UConn,” athletic director David Benedict said Friday.
Since the Huskies’ basketball-driven move to the Big East left its football program as an independent, the world of college athletics has continued to take on the ever-changing look of an Etch-A-Sketch. If UConn were to jump into the picture as a conference member — in, say, Conference USA or any other league that has entered a mode of salvage and survival — there is no reason to believe that such a move would provide any lasting stability or energy.
“We want to try to align ourselves, whether we’re independent or in a conference, to something that is going to help us elevate our recruiting, elevate our fan interest and something that is going to provide an opportunity to compete at a high level,” Benedict said. “Part of that is obviously being able to schedule games that are geographically relevant. That helps you recruit. If you can recruit well, you can be competitive. If you recruit well and you’re competitive, then your fans come — especially if they recognize the opponents you are playing.”
Benedict has discussed with Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod the future of his football program and her conference. That’s it. There are no negotiations taking place.