Operational Review & Conference Affiliation
During the course of an operational review, UConn was presented with the opportunity to move to the Big East Conference.
Challenge
In early 2019, UConn Athletics engaged College Sports Solutions (CSS) to conduct an operational review of its athletics enterprise. As the project progressed, the opportunity for a potential move to the Big East also presented itself. This expanded the project scope.
Solution
CSS completed the review with comprehensive research and benchmarking as well as many campus interviews of both internal and external constituents, with a final report provided to athletics. As the ongoing review progressed, UConn, with assistance from the CSS team, began to consider and then discuss the idea of moving to the Big East Conference, its previous conference. Those discussions progressed to actual negotiations with the Conference leadership.
Results
In June of 2019, UConn announced its move back to the Big East Conference at a media event in New York City. The move brought all sports except football back to the Conference, with football now competing as an Independent. The conference move reinstated old rivalries and significantly decreased annual costs for UConn.