UConn has an interesting decision to make regarding its 2012 football schedule.

With TCU set to join the Big East next season – the Horned Frogs will visit the Rent – the Huskies must eliminate someone from their non-conference schedule.

UConn is scheduled to host UMass (Aug. 30), North Carolina State (Sept. 8) and Buffalo (Sept. 29), with road games at Maryland (Sept. 15) and Western Michigan (Sept. 22).

The  Huskies’ other Big East home games in 2012 are against Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and West Virginia, so UConn can put itself in position to play eight of its 12 games at home by opting to drop one of its road games.

That would leave two options: say bye-bye to either Maryland or Western Michigan.

The Huskies play the first of a home-and-home series with Western Michigan this season and begin a home-and-home contract with the Terrapins next year (Maryland is scheduled to visit UConn on Sept. 14, 2013).

UConn must decide whether it wants to play nine games against BCS opponents or 10, but seriously – if you’re a Husky fan – don’t you find the Randy Edsall and Maryland story line much more intriguing?

And even if the former head Husky wasn’t roaming the visiting sideline at the Rent in 2013, playing Maryland – the closest ACC school (other than BC, of course) – makes future UConn schedules more attractive and might even develop into a strong regional rivalry.

UConn spokesman Mike Enright told me school administrators haven’t put an exact timetable on making a decision, but are discussing their options and a decision should come fairly soon.

However, I was able to track down Maryland athletic director Kevin Anderson last week, and he told me Edsall and the Terrapins can’t wait to welcome the Huskies to Byrd Stadium in 2012 and feels it’s important to play the Big East school.

“We want to play the game and are looking forward to it,” Anderson said. “There are many delightful angles, obviously, one for us being playing a Big East team. Hopefully we can even extend the series we have now.”

Keep something else in mind. Playing this series would also position UConn to play eight home games in 2013, too. The Huskies are scheduled to play non-conference home games against Towson (Aug. 29), Maryland (Sept. 14), Michigan (Sept. 21) and Temple (Sept. 28), while welcoming Big East rivals Louisville, Rutgers, South Florida and Syracuse. UConn could opt out of its non-conference game at Buffalo and then play four Big East road games at Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, TCU and West Virginia.

If you’re a UConn fan, doesn’t the idea of playing 16 home games in consecutive seasons sound appealing?

Stay tuned.