[CTcard]

Rumors were that UConn was giving up football, or dropping down, or something, hence the high number. Saw it somewhere on the web, so it has to be true.

UConn has dropped out of the American Athletic Conference to (re)join the Big East.
The Big East doesn't have football, meaning UConn will be an independent in football next year.

That was done to protect the basketball program. After getting turned down by every Power 5 conference (they thought they were getting the spot Louisville ended up with in the ACC), UConn has now decided that basketball is the key product they've got - and the traditional rivalries are more Big East than anywhere else.

The effort to get into a Power 5 conference meant they were spending like a Power 5 conference member without any notable income stream. That led to UConn leading the nation in recent years for having the largest subsidy of its intercollegiate athletics programs. [Got the title when Rutgers got into the Big Ten.]

The above issues plus the fact that UConn has only been FBS/1-A since 2002 has led to the rumors.
However, UConn says that are remaining FBS and have announced their schedule for next year - so ahead of the Pac-12 on that.

[CTcard]

Rumors were that UConn was giving up football, or dropping down, or something, hence the high number. Saw it somewhere on the web, so it has to be true.

UConn has dropped out of the American Athletic Conference to (re)join the Big East.
The Big East doesn't have football, meaning UConn will be an independent in football next year.

That was done to protect the basketball program. After getting turned down by every Power 5 conference (they thought they were getting the spot Louisville ended up with in the ACC), UConn has now decided that basketball is the key product they've got - and the traditional rivalries are more Big East than anywhere else.

The effort to get into a Power 5 conference meant they were spending like a Power 5 conference member without any notable income stream. That led to UConn leading the nation in recent years for having the largest subsidy of its intercollegiate athletics programs. [Got the title when Rutgers got into the Big Ten.]

The above issues plus the fact that UConn has only been FBS/1-A since 2002 has led to the rumors.
However, UConn says that are remaining FBS and have announced their schedule for next year - so ahead of the Pac-12 on that.