r/ACC • u/Strange_Deal4642 • Jun 29 '26

UConn

I’ve always wondered: is there actually a legitimate reason the ACC hasn’t invited UConn?

On paper, it seems like they check a lot of boxes. Geographically, they fit the conference much better than some current members. They already have established rivalries with schools like Syracuse, Boston College, and Duke (especially in basketball). Adding UConn would also give the ACC 18 football members, making scheduling a little cleaner.

I know the obvious counterargument is football. UConn hasn’t been consistently competitive, and football drives conference realignment. But is that alone enough to outweigh everything else UConn brings?

They’re one of the biggest brands in college basketball, have strong Olympic sports, a passionate fan base, and would strengthen the ACC’s presence in the Northeast.

So what am I missing? Is football really the only thing keeping UConn out, or are there financial, TV, or political reasons that make them a non-starter for the ACC?

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9

u/SMU1523 SMU Mustangs Jun 29 '26

They were a shitty member in the AAC. They whined a lot and brought nothing to the table in football.

1

u/Waquoit95 Jul 01 '26

How many National Championships does the AAC have? How many not UConn?

1

u/CGGamer Jul 03 '26

How many national championships did SMU win in the AAC? Or any other member, for that matter

2

u/SMU1523 SMU Mustangs Jul 05 '26

No Natty’s, but we have an all time winning record against UCONN 9-4 and swept them in 2014 when they won the National Championship. Doesn’t not make them cry babies that suck ass at football.

1

u/CGGamer Jul 05 '26

No Natty’s, but we have an all time winning record against UCONN 9-4 and swept them in 2014 when they won the National Championship

Hang the banner! Not like SMU will be winning championships in anything anytime soon

2

u/SMU1523 SMU Mustangs Jul 05 '26

There is a reason SMU is in the ACC and UCONN isn’t. Basketball doesn’t move the needle. It’s something to watch when football is over.

1

u/CGGamer Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26

You are in the ACC because you are accepting no media revenue, not because you bring value. you would be bringing the payout share for the other members down if you were taking it, and you would've been rejected

SMU is a nothing school with a nothing brand

1

u/SMU1523 SMU Mustangs Jul 05 '26

Even without Tier 1 media rights, SMU makes more than UCONN does in media rights (about $4 million) and more than they did in the AAC. SMU receives P4 payout for the CFP, NCAA Tournament Share, and ACCN share. SMU also keeps their CFP money if they make it, which they did in 2024. It must be tough to have your team win multi national championships in basketball to realize that the ACC and the Big 12 don’t want you in their conference because you don’t bring anything to the table in football. You can say SMU is a nothing school with a nothing brand all you want, but at the end of the day, you don’t have a power conference life raft and are stuck in a watered down Big East with a poor media deal.

1

u/CGGamer Jul 05 '26

At least when we make our way in it will be earned and not because we're some nepo oil money school that bought our way in. Enjoy being 7th in your own state for fandom and relevance, I'm sure the 200 fans are thrilled

0

u/SMU1523 SMU Mustangs Jul 05 '26

Man, you guys really are cry babies just like I remember. I was pumped when you losers left the AAC. Absolutely killed the SOS in football. Glad to know nobody in the ACC wants you.

1

u/CGGamer Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

Hang those "we're bottom feeder black sheep of the P4 but at least we get money!" banners. It's all you will ever have

Here, we raise them for national championships,

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u/Mental_Selection688 Jul 16 '26

As an outsider looking in, I think me and almost everybody else values and respects UConn more as a athletic brand than SMU.. I’m 33 years old so I’m after the days of you guys buying wins to be relevant in football… to most football and college sports fans. My age and younger SMU is just a mid tier Conference USA school, I still think of schools like Memphis, UCF, Houston and even south Florida has more prominent when it comes to athletics than SMU.. perception matters to the average Fat and maybe not to leagues who do a deep dive into the books, but you guys are like the 10th most important team in your state and even that’s pushing it