Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is a proud “double eagle,” the recipient of undergraduate and law degrees from Boston College, whose departure from the Big East for the ACC eight years ago prompted a lawsuit from Connecticut. Hard feelings reportedly persist.
Malloy was coy today when asked if he had reached out to BC, which might be in a position to block UConn from making the same move, should the ACC decide to grow again from 14 to 16 teams after snagging two Big East mainstays: Syracuse and Pitt.
“Suffice it to say, I’ve had conversations with schools and governors,” Malloy said.
The defection of Syracuse and Pitt have raised questions about the ability of the Big East to survive, prompting speculation that Connecticut will be trying to join them. But Malloy warned today that the the conference picture might take time to resolve.
“I think there was an expectancy built up, initially, that this was going to be quickly resolved,” Malloy said. “That’s clearly not the case. The ACC has the first decision to make, and that’s whether they’re going to stay at 14 teams or go to 16. I know that there’s one school that they would like to get into the ACC that would guarantee them going to 16 teams, and that’s been speculated to be Notre Dame.”
Malloy was skeptical about Notre Dame, a Big East basketball school, giving up its independent status in football, which has brought the school its own fat television contract. If it did join the ACC, UConn would like to join them.
But that might rest on Malloy’s ability to get the good Jesuits at Chestnut Hill to turn the other cheek.