Report: UConn Subject of Big 12 Expansion Talks with Presidents, ADs; No Vote Taken

The Big 12 is already a strong basketball conference, and it would become much more formidable in the sport if it added UConn.

Perhaps the conference's presidents and athletic directors had that in mind Monday, as ESPN's Pete Thamel reported they met to discuss potentially adding the Huskies as part of an expansion during a call that "was informational in nature."

There was no vote taken, although Thamel noted the expectation is the discussions will continue.

Basketball would be the selling point with this addition, which stands in contrast to some of the other conference moves of late.

Football has been the driving force behind much of the conference realignment in recent years, which the Big 12 can attest to after seeing powerhouse programs Texas and Oklahoma leave to join the SEC.

While the conference added Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah this offseason, it isn't difficult to make the argument it is now stronger in men's basketball than on the gridiron.

Kansas and Arizona are two of the gold-standard programs in the sport, while others such as Houston, Iowa State, Baylor, Texas Tech and West Virginia, among others, have enjoyed success. Cincinnati, which was a new addition ahead of last season, also has a more-established tradition in basketball compared to football.

UConn would be the ultimate basketball addition, as it has dominated on both the men's and women's sides.

The Huskies are coming off back-to-back men's national titles and count six overall championships in program history. And anything less than a Final Four is almost considered a failure for Geno Auriemma's women's program, which has a stunning 23 Final Four appearances and 11 championships.

Some of the most iconic women's basketball players in history suited up for the Huskies, including Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Tina Charles and Rebecca Lobo.

At this point, Big 12 basketball is appointment viewing with its current list of teams.

Adding a powerhouse like UConn would mean even more headlines and must-see matchups, which is something the presidents and athletic directors will surely consider.