Commish Aresco to retire, led production of AAC

• Andrea Adelson, ESPN

  • Elder WriterDec 7, 2023, 10:44 AM ET Close ACC press reporter.
  • Joined ESPN.com in 2010.
  • Graduate of the University of Florida.American Athletic

Conference commissioner Mike Aresco will retire at the end of the 2023-24 scholastic year, he revealed Thursday.The only commissioner in the conference’s history, Aresco has actually steered the AAC through unstable times over the course of its 11-year history. Initially worked with as commissioner of the Big East in 2012, he oversaw the development of the AAC as an outcome of conference realignment that resulted in the Big East going back to its basketball roots.The FBS schools that stayed broadened to add UCF, Cincinnati, Houston, SMU and Memphis to form its first iteration in 2013. The list below year, Louisville(ACC)and Rutgers (Big 10 )had actually gone, so Aresco added East Carolina, Tulane and Tulsa to the mix.Last year, the AAC was required to alter once again after UCF, Cincinnati and Houston

left for the Big 12. Aresco added UAB, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice and UTSA. SMU leaves for the ACC in 2024, but Army will begin playing in the league as a football-only member that same season.Editor’s Picks During his run as commissioner, Aresco pushed hard for addition in the Power 5 discussion. He constantly referred to his conference as one of the “Power 6 “and utilized the undefeated run UCF made in 2017 to prove his point. He pushed hard that season for playoff addition, however UCF ended up No. 12 in the final CFP rankings at 12-0. That started a discussion about Group of 5 addition in the four-team playoff, one that was rewarded in 2021. Cincinnati became the very first Group of 5 team to make it into the College Football Playoff, before losing to Alabama 27-6 in the semifinals.”It has actually been the supreme advantage of my long profession in sports to have had the chance to lead this excellent conference from its reinvention in 2013, and to represent its outstanding

student-athletes, coaches and administrators,”Aresco stated in a declaration. “There have likewise been some dissatisfactions and problems along the way, most especially, the P5-G5 divide, realignment, College Football Playoff access for our deserving teams, and some competitive heartbreak in big games.” However these have actually not impacted in any way my enthusiasm in leading this fantastic and durable conference or my optimism for its long-term future.”During his period, the AAC produced 4 NCAA championship teams, a College Football Playoff semifinalist, 4 New Year’s Six bowl champs, two NCAA Guys’s Last Four teams and six Women’s Last 4 teams.