ACC Expansion: UConn Would Be Making Right Choice Leaving the Big East for ACC

Following the approval of Syracuse and Pittsburgh as the first pieces of new expansion, the Atlantic Coast Conference may be about to explore the option of adding the University of Connecticut as its 15th member.

Reports nationwide suggest UConn and its president Susan Herbst are eager to make the move following Syracuse and Pittsburgh's additions, ready to kiss the Big East Conference goodbye.

Expansion has been a subject nationwide for a long time recently and it was only a matter of time before it touched the two conferences in such a manner.

The Big East has already been part of the new expansion. Texas Christian University is scheduled to join the conference in the fall of 2012.

The two conferences have been involved in a major expansion project before. In 2004, Miami and Virginia Tech left the Big East for the ACC and were joined by Boston College a year later. The Big East then attacked other small conferences, particularly Conference USA, and added Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette, DePaul and South Florida.

Despite being a charter member and one of the most historic members of the conference, leaving the Big East may now be the best option for Connecticut.

Herbst, the new president of the school, has made known the pride the school feels in its athletics and that is seen around campus. She takes pride in being an upstanding Big East school for so long, however, she wants what is best for the university.

The Big East is suddenly hurting. Losing two big members like Syracuse and Pittsburgh means that A) the conference would need to scramble to find a couple replacements, and B) the conference loses two of its biggest basketball powers. The recent rumors say Iowa State and Baylor may be the replacements for Pitt and Syracuse. That is not very exciting for anyone in the conference.

Connecticut has a chance to get out before the going gets worse. Right now, adding in the departures of Syracuse and Pittsburgh, there are only seven football programs, and that includes TCU, which is wary of joining the conference now, and West Virginia, which has reportedly applied to the SEC.

The rumored options to join the Big East include Army, Navy, Central Florida, Iowa State and Baylor. Of those, Baylor would be the only one worth having.

The Big East may be following in the Big 12's footsteps. Colorado, which started this whole mess, opened the door to even more schools leaving and now the conference looks beyond repair. With 'Cuse and Pitt out and UConn, West Virginia and Louisville among others looking for different places to go, the conference looks to be heading towards a slow and painful death.

UConn—one of, if not the biggest athletic program in the Big East—doesn't deserve to be held back.

It only benefits the school. As I just mentioned, UConn is the biggest athletic program in the Big East and one of the biggest in the nation. See for yourself the success of some of the school's biggest teams:

• Men's Basketball: three-time national champions, four Final Four appearances, 17 Big East regular season/tournament championships

• Women's Basketball: seven-time national champions, 12 Final Four appearances, 34 Big East regular season/tournament championships, holds the all-time college basketball record with 90 consecutive wins

• Football: Fastest growing FBS program ever, five bowl appearances, three bowl wins, two Big East championships, one BCS appearance

• Men's Soccer: three-time national champions, five College Cup appearances, 18 Big East regular season/tournament championships, currently ranked No. 2 in the country behind Maryland

• Baseball: three-time Big East regular season/tournament champions, five College World Series, 2011 Super Regional appearance

• Field Hockey: two-time national champions, nine Final Four appearances, 22 Big East regular season/tournament championships

At the moment, the basketball teams and men's soccer are three of the most dominant teams in their respective sports. If they remain in the Big East as it whithers away, it will severely damage these nationally renowned teams.

Keeping with the current fall season, UConn soccer is ranked No. 2 in the country. The team has come flying out of the gates at 6-0-0, dominating the likes of Michigan State and Cal at home while winning on the road against three tough teams in Tulsa, Southern Methodist and Boston University. With a nearly fully healthy team of stars in the college game—including Tony Cascio, Carlos Alvarez, Mamadou Doudou Diouf, Stephane Diop and Andrew Jean-Baptiste, a very seasoned and experienced squad—two of the top performing freshmen thus far in the country in Michael Mercado and Andre Blake and the legendary coach Ray Reid, Connecticut may be well on its way to a national title in 2011.

Two teams may stand in the way: Maryland and North Carolina.

The ACC is a powerhouse of college soccer. Maryland, North Carolina, Boston College and Virginia are currently all ranked in the top 25, with Virginia the lowest at 12. Along with these four big names, Duke and Wake Forest are also among the nation's best annually.

For UConn, the prospect of being involved in such a competitive conference is nothing new, with Louisville, West Virginia, South Florida, Notre Dame, St. John's and Georgetown all among the best, so they would fit right in. Being one of the best, they could make the ACC the most exciting conference to watch hands down.

Football is currently UConn's third or fourth strongest sport. The Big East is currently the whipping boy of the BCS conferences, but even with ACC as the fifth on that list, the chance to play bigger programs like Miami, Clemson, Virginia Tech and others will only help the football team and will open the doors to better recruiting.

Basketball has to be excited about the opportunity. It is no secret that for the last 25 years or so, the UConn men's and women's basketball teams have been among the nation's elite. The Big East has regularly been the nation's strongest conference in the men's game and arguably the women's of late. However, the ACC just became even better by adding two of the biggest programs in basketball from the Big East.

UConn has the endorsement of both Duke's Mike Krzyzweski and North Carolina's Roy Williams for inclusion into the conference. Imagine a conference where UConn, Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse and Pittsburgh battled it out every year. Yes, the Big East is currently the strongest, but look at the possibility! With Louisville looking to move elsewhere, it could end up in the ACC possibly! This conference is going to be interesting if things pan out.

In all, a move to the Atlantic Coast Conference is a great move for Connecticut. The Big East is dying. It would be best to avoid a catastrophe and avoid being held back by the conference as it crumbles. Moving into the ACC and having the most elite competition in soccer and basketball and having much better competition in football with better recruiting zones is a very welcoming idea.

If President Herbst continues to pursue this avenue, which is expected, UConn will definitely be joining the ACC.