UConn athletic director David Benedict says he was not contacted about the report that the Huskies are trying to get back into the American Athletic Conference as a football-only member, and he added that he “wasn't aware of this.”
That denial came after Friday’s report that UConn is seeking a return to the AAC, with Miami of Ohio and James Madison also reportedly trying to join as full members. The timing made the whole thing even more interesting, since UConn and Miami of Ohio are set to meet Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The question now is how much of the report reflects actual movement behind the scenes. The Huskies have been in this spot before, and the idea makes sense on paper: football is still independent, the program gets freedom in scheduling, and the athletic department does not have the backing of a major media deal. A move like this could also help the school financially and support NIL efforts.
UConn was part of the American from 2013 through 2019 before returning to independence in football. The stretch in the league was rough. The Huskies never won more than six games in a season and never finished above .500.
Here’s how that run looked:
2013: 3-9
2014: 2-10
2015: 6-7
2016: 3-9
2017: 3-9
2018: 1-11
2019: 2-10
For now, though, the Huskies keep moving forward as they are. The football team remains independent, while the rest of UConn’s programs stay in the Big East, where the school continues to chase national success and championships.
On the field, UConn is 2-1 and heads to Miami of Ohio on Saturday after beating Southern Miss last weekend. The Huskies will then return home to host Syracuse on Oct. 3.
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Jason Candles Ohio Return Gives UConn An Early Road Test
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Miami, too, offers a clean measuring stick because the RedHawks have been part of the MAC backdrop Candle lived in for years. UConn will be looking to see how it handles the pace, physicality and game-day environment on the road, and Candles own history against this conference adds another layer to a game that already carries some intrigue for a program trying to establish its identity. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Let A Winnable Road Game Slip Away Late
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The RedHawks leaned on David McComb, who was sharp while he was in the game, completing 19 of 29 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns before leaving injured. Even with that setback, UConn could not finish the job when it mattered most, and the late sequence will linger as the kind of missed chance that can define an early-season road trip. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Hurley Has One Big Challenge In UConns Title Push
Dan Hurleys latest offseason reset has given UConn a very different-looking roster, one that will lean heavily on newcomers as the program keeps chasing the standard it has built. The Huskies brought in 10 new players, including seven transfers, and the incoming class is ranked No. 18 nationally, with additions from high-major programs already giving the group a more proven feel on paper.
The mix includes Nik Khamenia from Duke, Oskar Giltay from Stanford and Elmir Dzafic from Arkansas, a signal that UConn did not simply fill gaps but added talent from ambitious places. Hurley has stressed that the culture and expectations remain the same, but the real question now is how quickly all of those pieces, especially the younger top-end talent, can be pulled together into something that looks like a title team again. [Read more 🡒]