Great job, UConn. Congrats. I like it.

But is this "better" than an AAC slate?

Let's take the "eight best/most sexy programs" on the schedule to make it look as "better than the AAC schedule" as possible:

9/3 Umass (for historic rivalry purposes/geography)

9/12 @Illinois

9/19 @UVA

9/26 Indiana

10/24 @Ole Miss

11/7 @UNC

11/21 MTSU (or maybe ODU)

11/28 Army

So that's UMass, Indiana, MTSU/ODU and Army at home


This year's AAC slate:

At UCF

USF

At Tulane

Houston

Navy

At Cincinnati

East Carolina

At Temple

So that's USF, Houston, Navy and ECU at home.

I don't see that it is as that much "better." True, there are five programs from the P5, but — let's be blunt — it's not as if this quintet is a heavy-hitter lineup. And as a long-time follower and/or fan of both Indiana and North Carolina, I speak from experience.

And I would think some UConn players like the thought of playing for all-conference honors. This future schedule doesn't allow that.

I attended Middle Tennessee State and am pleased to see the Raiders, Hoosiers and Tar Heels playing UConn in football. I'm all for it. UConn is a prestigious university with a strong annual athletics budget — and its football team is very beatable (no offense Husky fans). And I'm hopeful Memphis and Cincy keep playing UConn in hoops.

I give UConn full props for this schedule. Very well done — particularly under challenging circumstances. I wish the school well, strongly feel it has made the correct move to change leagues and am pleased as a long-time DePaul supporter to have them back in Big East.

But let's keep this in perspective. Better? In some respects, yes. In other ways, not really.