UConn to Big 12 move reportedly needs 12 schools' approval as Brett Yormark gets aggressive with his conference realignment plans

The UConn Huskies could soon be joining a new conference. College football realignment went crazy last year and it may not be over as UConn is in talks to join the Big 12.

The conference's commissioner Brett Yormark has talked about the possibility of adding more schools. UConn has been rumored to be set to join the Big 12, as the university's athletic director David Benedict recently traveled to Dallas to pitch the Huskies joining the conference.

Conference ADs and presidents were expected to hear from the Big 12 media consultants to discuss the possibility of adding UConn. According to AP, 12 of the 16 Big 12 schools would need to be in favor of adding the Huskies to the conference.

"I think the word is 'premature,'" a high-ranking Big 12 official said to ESPN. "There's a far distance between conversations and anything that would happen. The presidents haven't seen the case yet."

If UConn joins the Big 12, all sports would join immediately, but football wouldn't join the conference until 2031. That would allow the Huskies to catch up in terms of funding and a talent upgrade through NIL to be able to compete in the Big 12.

The Big 12 added four new members: Houston, BYU, Cincinnati and UCF last year, and added Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State this year.

Brett Yormark calls Big 12 the 'deepest football conference in America'

Brett Yormark has said that he is looking to add more schools to solidify the Big 12 as a premier conference.

Heading into the 2024 college football season, Yormark believes that with the new additions to the Big 12, it is the deepest conference in college football.

"I wake up every morning and I think about one thing, the Big 12 being the best version of itself. Everything else doesn't really matter," Yormark said, via ESPN. "If we take care of business, we're going to be just fine. I'm a firm believer in that. We're more relevant now than we've ever been. We're a national conference. We've got 16 great brands. We're going to be the deepest football conference in America and we'll be well represented in the CFP."

Entering the 2024 season, Utah is favored to win the Big 12 with +320 odds, which implies a 23.8% chance. Kansas State and Oklahoma State have the second and third-best odds of winning the conference championship.