Mike Aresco should be hiking in Switzerland. Unfortunately, that European vacation is off now that UConn has bolted the American Athletic Conference. The news hit the AAC's commissioner last week about the same shocking way it hit all of us.
"I went to bed early that [Friday] night," Aresco said. "I put my phone on mute so I wouldn't wake my wife. Sure enough, when I checked my phone in the morning, all hell broke loose."
"Look, I don't know what their attitude is toward football, but it's pretty evident," Aresco said. "They just have new priorities now."
CBS Sports: How surprised were you last week when the news broke?
Aresco: "At that point, I talked to UConn. They were noncommittal about what they were doing. I sort of suspected what was going on by then. Did it come as a huge surprise? No. It's not something I necessarily expected, but it's been percolating for some time."
CBS Sports: Is this situation unique to UConn or a symptom of Group of Five struggles keeping up with the Power Five?
Aresco: "I don't know. UConn occupied a unique place, the one school that didn't get into the P5. It's been tough for them. I'm not losing any sleep about how we dealt with UConn over the years. … We did everything we could knowing they were unhappy about things. Look, I don't know what their attitude is toward football, but it's pretty evident. They just have new priorities now."
CBS Sports: Where do you think UConn football ends up now?
Aresco: "I can't say. The one thing I can tell you, they won't be playing in our conference [after 2019]."
CBS Sports: Have any particulars been discussed on UConn's buyout? (League bylaws state any departing member has to give 27-month notice and pay $10 million.)
Aresco: "We'll strictly abide by the bylaws. They are going to have to approach us on that. If they want to leave earlier, something has be negotiated on that."
AAC commissioner discusses his league's football future and its sudden split with UConn
"I went to bed early that [Friday] night," Aresco said. "I put my phone on mute so I wouldn't wake my wife. Sure enough, when I checked my phone in the morning, all hell broke loose."
"Look, I don't know what their attitude is toward football, but it's pretty evident," Aresco said. "They just have new priorities now."
CBS Sports: How surprised were you last week when the news broke?
Aresco: "At that point, I talked to UConn. They were noncommittal about what they were doing. I sort of suspected what was going on by then. Did it come as a huge surprise? No. It's not something I necessarily expected, but it's been percolating for some time."
CBS Sports: Is this situation unique to UConn or a symptom of Group of Five struggles keeping up with the Power Five?
Aresco: "I don't know. UConn occupied a unique place, the one school that didn't get into the P5. It's been tough for them. I'm not losing any sleep about how we dealt with UConn over the years. … We did everything we could knowing they were unhappy about things. Look, I don't know what their attitude is toward football, but it's pretty evident. They just have new priorities now."
CBS Sports: Where do you think UConn football ends up now?
Aresco: "I can't say. The one thing I can tell you, they won't be playing in our conference [after 2019]."
CBS Sports: Have any particulars been discussed on UConn's buyout? (League bylaws state any departing member has to give 27-month notice and pay $10 million.)
Aresco: "We'll strictly abide by the bylaws. They are going to have to approach us on that. If they want to leave earlier, something has be negotiated on that."
AAC commissioner discusses his league's football future and its sudden split with UConn
