Connecticut AD refutes report that school is talking to Mountain West

A report surfaced earlier from AJerseyGuy.com on Friday that the Connecticut Huskies and Cincinnati Bearcats would follow along with the Catholic 7 for Olympic sports, but the big bomb shell was that they were in talks to join the Mountain West as football-only members.

As soon as the report surfaced about Connecticut talking with the Catholic 7 and the Mountain West, Huskies athletic director Warde Manuel denied the report:

UConn has not had any conversations with the Catholic 7 or the Mountain West. Manuel also said that UConn is committed to its football program and its other sports playing in the same conference.

Not a shock that he would deny the report, however Manuel did not say that UConn wants to have all sports in the Big East, but rather in the same league.

Let the speculation begin.

During these times words are chosen very carefully, and by omitting the Big East it means that UConn is not fully committed to the Big East -- we already knew that. UConn really wants to be part of the ACC, and move to the Mountain West for football, and with the Catholic 7 for basketball and other sports would be looked as a step down.

However, for football they would fit right in as a team probably a step behind Boise State, San Diego State and Fresno State. Their hoops program would take a downturn as well, even though they would be partnered with most of the schools in the Big East right now.

If UConn never joins the Mountain West, it is not the end of the world for the league, because we all made fun of the Big East encompassing the entire country over the past year and a half.

The only way that adding UConn would work is if Houston or Tulsa make the move to the Mountain West to allow more teams in the middle part of the country which would reduce travel concerns.

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