The American Athletic Conference Board of Directors approved a new contract extension for commissioner Mike Aresco through June 2022.
“Mike Aresco has done an outstanding job of leading the American Athletic Conference through its early years and I am very happy that he will continue on with us,” Susan Herbst, President of the University of Connecticut and Chair of The American’s Board of Directors said in a statement. “Mike is a strong commissioner who is respected by the presidents and institutions within the Conference. It is important for The American to have excellent, consistent leadership and that is what Mike provides.”
“I am extremely proud of the progress that this Conference has made,” Aresco said. “Our presidents and athletic directors have made the commitment necessary for us to become a Power 6 conference and have, in a difficult environment, provided the vision and resources that have enabled our student-athletes and coaches to compete at the highest level. This conference has achieved a series of remarkable milestones in its relatively short existence, and the future is very promising. I deeply appreciate the confidence placed in me by our Board of Directors that is reflected in this extension, and I am proud and delighted to represent our conference as we embrace, with a collective determination and spirit, the many challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.“
Aresco has also led the charge to have the AAC recognized as a power conference. But perhaps the biggest win Aresco has seen during his watch was avoiding having the Big 12 come picking at the conference last fall. Big 12 expansion candidates were believed to include a handful of AAC programs (Cincinnati, Houston, UCF, USF, Memphis).
