Mike Aresco on Big 12 expansion drama

[UT4Big12]

I found this interesting:

AAC commissioner Mike Aresco wants Big 12 expansion drama to settle down soon – CollegeFootballTalk

 

[UT4Big12]

AAC commissioner expects Big 12 expansion to be settled soon - Orlando Sentinel

 

[Jimdish255]

He's monitoring the situation.

 

[Fishy]

He's monitoring a bottle of bourbon because his television contract is in danger of being ripped up.

If the Big 12 expands and taps the AAC twice, whoever is left in it is going to suffer mightily.

 

[UT4Big12]

He's monitoring a bottle of bourbon because his television contract is in danger of being ripped up.

If the Big 12 expands and taps the AAC twice, whoever is left in it is going to suffer mightily.

Although he is trying to put a positive spin on the situation, I believe you are right about the television contract.

Interesting that he talks about the AAC doing fine with 10 football schools if 2 schools leave. He says the one thing the AAC will not do is to dilute its brand.

It seems I have heard this before from another conference.......

 

[Fishy]

Although he is trying to put a positive spin on the situation, I believe you are right about the television contract.

Interesting that he talks about the AAC doing fine with 10 football schools if 2 schools leave. He says the one thing the AAC will not do is to dilute its brand.

He's doing advance damage control. If the Big 12 expands, it does not end well for the American.

The contract was designed with hedges against future expansion. If UConn and Cincy leave, the ESPN contract can be terminated. If one leaves, the contract will be renegotiated downward.

 

[UT4Big12]

He's doing advance damage control. If the Big 12 expands, it does not end well for the American.

The contract was designed with hedges against future expansion. If UConn and Cincy leave, the ESPN contract can be terminated. If one leaves, the contract will be renegotiated downward.

What a bad spot for the AAC to be in if/when that happens.

Either way, it would be doomsday for the AAC schools that are left behind.

 

[CL82]

“We have 12 good schools that are nationally known and if we lose one or two we’ll figure it out,” Aresco said. “It’s not going to be an Earth-shattering thing. It’s not going to be anything like it was three years ago.”

Bite me you idiot.

 

[UT4Big12]

“We have 12 good schools that are nationally known and if we lose one or two we’ll figure it out,” Aresco said. “It’s not going to be an Earth-shattering thing. It’s not going to be anything like it was three years ago.”

Bite me you idiot.

Damn, this thing is going to be settled very soon.
Aresco is not going to have any time to "figure it out".

 

[The Viking]

If UConn and Cincy leave, Aresco will probably announce his retirement within 6 months.

 

[Fishy]

Aresco is a pretty good commissioner given that he's dealing with a landscape that is openly hostile to his conference.

Bunch of national championships, a couple of BCS/New Year's six bowl wins including Houston kicking FSU's ass this year - the conference does get results, if not the respect that ought to come with it.

If he left the AAC, he'd have zero trouble moving into a very comfy gig somewhere.

 

[Adios]

UTSA has way more of a following in San Antonio than the Bearcats do in football in Cincinnati.

 

[History Geek]

Damn, this thing is going to be settled very soon.
Aresco is not going to have any time to "figure it out".

I'm sure they are imaging different scenarios and working on plans for each right now. For example, I would be shocked if we leave and we are not replaced by UMass. I think what UMass has been doing is positioning themselves just for that, and for the AAC it would work.

 

[noeynox]

I don't get the vitriol toward Aresco from UConn fans. There probably isn't a person on earth who has less to do with why UConn is in this conference than him. That no one stepped up and paid big $$$ for this conference is not his fault. He got this conference the best exposure as far as TV of any non P5. I want us out of the conference but he has done a good job with what he has.

 

[coachcap]

What a bad spot for the AAC to be in if/when that happens.

Either way, it would be doomsday for the AAC schools that are left behind.

Just hope that UCONN isn't one of those left behind!

 

[CTGoonie]

If UConn and Cincy leave, the ESPN contract can be terminated. If one leaves, the contract will be renegotiated downward.

So ESPN could possibly save money by Cincy/UConn leaving the AAC for the B12?

 

[CL82]

Aresco is a pretty good commissioner given that he's dealing with a landscape that is openly hostile to his conference.

Bunch of national championships, a couple of BCS/New Year's six bowl wins including Houston kicking FSU's ass this year - the conference does get results, if not the respect that ought to come with it.

If he left the AAC, he'd have zero trouble moving into a very comfy gig somewhere.

So what exactly did he have to do with those championships?

I do know that Aresco is extraordinarily good at giving our valuable T3 rights away and he's excellent at talking up every other program but UConn, so that's something.

 

[TRest]

Just hope that UCONN isn't one of those left behind!

Conference realignment Rule #1, buddy.

 

[CL82]

I'm sure they are imaging different scenarios and working on plans for each right now. For example, I would be shocked if we leave and we are not replaced by UMass. I think what UMass has been doing is positioning themselves just for that, and for the AAC it would work.

If this happens, I'd feel pretty good about it. First and foremost, we'd be out and back in the P5 but secondly UMass creeping upwards is good for New England sports. I hated them in college but now, I'm glad to see good things happen to them.

 

[NYUConn]

Personally I'm in the camp that Aresco has done a terrific job with the hand he's been dealt.

Sure the money isn't there, but I like the fact that I can find every single UConn basketball game on TV down here in Hoboken, NJ.

I don't know that you can give him credit for the Athletic success the conference has enjoyed on the field and court, but he did see through the creation of the American championship game and has been a strong and out front advocate on behalf of the conference.

 

[Dooley]

I don't get the vitriol toward Aresco from UConn fans. There probably isn't a person on earth who has less to do with why UConn is in this conference than him. That no one stepped up and paid big $$$ for this conference is not his fault. He got this conference the best exposure as far as TV of any non P5. I want us out of the conference but he has done a good job with what he has.

We gave away our T3 rights, valued at $9.14M/yr (comparable to the majority of P5 schools at the time), to be an AAC team player and probably under some very misguided notion that we would recoup at least half of that value in a conference package. The exposure has been nice...certainly better than what the Big East barely generates on FS1. But nobody has lost more money than UConn in AAC purgatory. I think UConn fans were expecting MUCH more than the peanut shells we currently get given the fact that our T3 rights were (and still are) valued so highly.

 

[Pudge]

I don't think I agree with Fishy

The dollars in the AAC contract weren't all that large - slim slices for 12 schools. The "content" for ESPN and assorted other outlets has been good programming - far better value than some that are getting more dollars on the SEC network or B1G network or U or News. I think the Net of the first three years of the AAC is that it's good college sports at a low ticket price. Kinda like Marshalls.

How much thinner slice could it be?

 

[Sea Goat]

If UConn and Cincy leave, Aresco will probably announce his retirement within 6 months.

At that point, it would akin to the captain of the Titantic resigning after it hit the iceberg...

 

[UT4Big12]

So ESPN could possibly save money by Cincy/UConn leaving the AAC for the B12?

Wouldn't it be something if ESPN cancelled its contract with the AAC in order to support 2 new additions to the Big 12?
I hadn't realized that could be a possibility.

 

[UConn Dan]

We gave away our T3 rights, valued at $9.14M/yr (comparable to the majority of P5 schools at the time), to be an AAC team player and probably under some very misguided notion that we would recoup at least half of that value in a conference package. The exposure has been nice...certainly better than what the Big East barely generates on FS1. But nobody has lost more money than UConn in AAC purgatory. I think UConn fans were expecting MUCH more than the peanut shells we currently get given the fact that our T3 rights were (and still are) valued so highly.

I love ya Dooley but the only thing we gave up was the Women's $1.14 million per year.

The money from the men's basketball and football SNY tier 3 deal was always given back to the old big east for redistribution. See link:
SNY will not directly pay UConn. TV rights money goes to the Big East, where it will then go into a pool generated by all 16 conference schools through regional broadcasts. That money gets distributed evenly — the same way the league divides football bowl game payouts.
http://articles.courant.com/2010-08...00805_1_sny-sportsnet-new-york-uconn-football

We still have our IMG/Nike money and I think that's being confused as Tier 3 TV money.