I don't think the lawsuit had anything to do with any of the factors listed in this thread. I also don't believe that the ACC's passing over of UConn (twice) had much to do with the Huskies' Fiesta Bowl appearance or lobbying against them by Boston College.

I think the problems most fans have in understanding expansion come when they continually try to apply one-size-fits-all principles to highly individualized circumstances.

For example, had the expansion landscape been in 2012 what it was in 2010, the Huskies likely would have gotten in ahead of Louisville. However, the ACC's most football-centric schools had grown nervous after Maryland left and were threatening to leave if the ACC didn't make a football-first addition. Nevermind that the school they added - Louisville - would go on to become the men's basketball national champion. The Cardinals were also seen by most as a stronger football candidate so they got the nod.

Two years earlier it was Pitt and Syracuse getting the nod over the Huskies. In that instance, I believe that the B12's reconstruction plans were the biggest factor in the ACC's decision making.

After losing four of its members over the previous two years, the Texas-based league reached out to Arkansas, Notre Dame and Pitt to gauge those schools' interest in joining their league. ARK and ND quickly said no but Pitt did not, opting instead to flirt with the B12.

In fact, Pitt was trying to put together a trio of themselves along with West Virginia and Syracuse to go to the B12. Syracuse was hesitant to leave the East but, given the state of the crumbling Big East, was at least willing to listen. West Virginia on the other hand, told them to hold off until the SEC resolved its expansion situation. Pitt then began to talk to Syracuse, Rutgers and Louisville about forming a group to approach the B12. Pitt did not want to go alone and made that very clear to the B12. They feared ending up isolated on an island.

The ACC, fearing that the B12 would end up permanently in their natural territory (East Coast/East Coast-ish) then sprung into action and quickly invited Pitt and Syracuse into its league. Naturally, Pitt and Syracuse quickly accepted and the rest is history. The whole process took less than two weeks from start to finish. Notre Dame and Louisville soon followed suit and with the GOR now signed, sealed and delivered, I think it is now crystal clear that Pitt's decision to choose the ACC over the B12 was the correct one.

That's what happened to UConn, not this "Young and the Restless" bullschitt.

Also, and I don't mean to piss on anyone's grave, but I must warn that I'm not convinced that UConn is next in line either. As I have said repeatedly, I think these situations are highly variable and the line to get into the club is not a linear one. If the ACC were to expand again, depending on the need, I would not be surprised if it was to take another Florida school instead of UConn or Cincy.