Could potential move of UConn to the Big 12 start the dominoes falling for USF?

Here at Green, Gold and Bold, we view every college sports realignment rumor through this prism: What does it mean for USF?

When Florida State opened the football season with a faceplant against Georgia Tech, we immediately wondered if that hurt USF’s chance to move to a better conference.

Realignment could be on hold until FSU (and probably Clemson) changes leagues. After that gag-fest in Dublin, would the SEC and/or Big 12 really want the Seminoles?

I know that’s silly, of course. FSU is one of the top brands in college athletics, and it will take more than one kersplat to change that. But then, realignment is getting pretty silly, too.

That, sports fans, brings us to UConn and its rumored move to the Big 12.

The Athletic broke the story about the possible marriage of the men’s basketball powerhouse and the conference that seems intent on committing to perpetual expansion. The Big 12 apparently wants UConn so badly so it can turn its basketball into the power equivalent of SEC football. It may even agree to let UConn hold off joining its lame football program with the conference until 2031.

That would give the Huskies some time to build a competitive program.

Well, maybe.

Anyway, Brett McMurphy quickly confirmed the report for the Action Network, and now it’s game on!

What does that mean for USF?

That’s impossible to say now, but one thing that hasn’t gotten much attention in this latest round of conference roulette is that the Big 12 would have only 17 teams if it added UConn. Logic says the Big 12 would probably have a secondary move in mind – adding at least one more school, or maybe three besides UConn, to give the league an even 20.

McMurphy had a source who told him, “Keep your eye on what happens in the ACC.”

Well, yeah … we’ve all been doing that. I suppose that means FSU and Clemson, which may be the only option if those programs really want to leave (and they do). And we should note that the ACC currently has 17 teams, so it might have room to expand too -- or search for replacements.

I'm getting a headache.

I think we can just about eliminate the SEC for the Seminoles, and probably the Big Ten, too.

In an exclusive Heartland College Sports interview, SEC expert Paul Finebaum said there doesn’t appear to be much interest in adding those schools by the SEC.

“I don’t think there’s any appetite right now. I mean, I’ve watched this thing over three years trying to incorporate two programs into the SEC. It’s very difficult,” Finebaum said.

He added, “Every time you bring in a new school, that means the pie gets divvied up even more. They are just now, starting next week, the brand-new ESPN-ABC contract. Working at ESPN, I don’t think they’re eager to pay more money just to get a couple more schools. Who would they get? North Carolina is the name you hear the most. Well, okay, I mean, does that mean anything to SEC fans in Alabama, or Louisiana, or Texas? Not really.”

Bringing it all back home, what does it mean for USF?

As we’ve said many times before, these decisions are made by college presidents. USF’s elite academic status as an Association of American Universities member would be a big plus there. The ever-expanding Tampa Bay area TV market is a plus. The massive investments USF has made in athletics are a plus.

And as Bulls Athletics Director Michael Kelly has told me, the Big 12 and ACC already know what value USF can bring.

USF is ready to move when the time comes.