UConn is expected to leave the American Athletic Conference and return to the Big East for basketball and other sports in 2020, sources told ESPN.
Nothing is official at this point, but an announcement could come as early as next week, sources told ESPN. The UConn Board of Trustees has not yet voted on the move, but approval is expected.
The biggest remaining question surrounds what happens with UConn’s football team. The Big East does not have football, and it’s unlikely it would remain in the AAC with just football, sources told ESPN. Sources told ESPN the football program is expected to play in the AAC this coming season, but could go independent after that or join a different conference.
UConn was an original member of the Big East, beginning in 1979, but went to the AAC during realignment in 2013. The Big East retained original members Georgetown, Providence, Seton Hall and St. John’s, as well as longtime member Villanova. DePaul and Marquette also remained in the Big East, and the league then added Butler, Creighton and Xavier.
A possibility for the AAC in replacing UConn would be to add Army or Air Force as a football-only school, like it currently has with Navy, and then add a successful basketball program.
UConn became one of the best basketball programs in the country during its time in the Big East. The Huskies won four national championships since 1999, the last one coming in 2014 — their first season in the AAC.
UConn’s pending moved was first reported by the Digital Sports Desk.