(02-03-2021 11:25 PM)bill dazzle Wrote: ...he does bring some quality elements to the table and I doubt the AAC could do any better. I also respectfully acknowledge that many AAC fans who post on this board give MA props.
Aresco was widely praised for the way that he kept the FBS side of the Big East conference alive, despite losing half its teams between 2012 & 2014 (Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville, & Rutgers).
He also received a great deal of credit and praise for the additions of Navy and Wichita State, which strengthened the conference in FB & BB.
When the time came to sign an extended broadcasting deal, Aresco did about as anyone could have expected by securing a $1 billion package, which more than doubled the prior revenue stream.
Some may blame Aresco for UConn's departure, and some have been frustrated by the way things have gone since UConn left, but no one knows whether it's Aresco or the AAC Presidents who actually bear the responsibility for the way things have gone since the UConn departure was announced. Recent evidence suggest that it may well have been the AAC Presidents who dropped the ball.
For those who've blamed Aresco for being overly passive and taking his foot off the P6 gas pedal, his interviews in the past 2-3 months and the details that have emerged about negotiations with Boise State have clarified that he is just as focused on improving the conference and striving for P6 status as ever. His most recent remarks have been highly positive and very encouraging.
It would be next to impossible to find a better advocate for the conference than Mike Aresco. There are very few people who have the same skill set, the same contacts, etc.
