Commissioner Mike Aresco at the AAC's football media kickoff yesterday said that the conference "expects to lose" some schools to expansion, adding that the AAC "has made contingency plans," according to Tom Groeschen of the CINCINNATI ENQUIRER. Big 12 expansion "expectedly was the dominant theme" yesterday, and Aresco "addressed the issue head-on." There has been talk that the Big 12 "could add two to four teams by Labor Day, with AAC teams Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis and UConn believed to be among the top choices." Cincinnati has "made no secret" about its bid to leave the AAC for the Big 12. Aresco: "I cannot stand here this morning and ignore the recent Big 12 news concerning realignment. We're not shying away from the elephant in the room." Aresco also called the AAC a "Power Six conference." Aresco: "We're an elite conference playing the highest level of competition. The competition for dollars is real, but while revenue is important, competitive success should matter the most. Sometimes revenue and success are related, sometimes not. But we don't want conferences measured solely on the amount of money they bring in" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 8/3).
CLEAR THOUGHTS: Though Aresco yesterday addressed expansion, he said he was "not going to dwell on it." In Houston, Joseph Duarte writes, "Translation: If the Big 12 wants to raid the AAC, it's going to happen. And there's nothing Aresco can do about it." In addition to calling the AAC a "Power Six," he also called the Power Five the "so-called P5." Aresco: "We have been incredibly competitive, and the fact that virtually all of our schools are the main focus of realignment speaks to our strength. ... We have forged a powerful Power Six narrative as a nationally relevant and respected conference." He added, "I can assure you that our success will continue" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/3). Aresco said, "We're not going to be morose. We're not going to be acting like woe is me." Aresco said that the AAC has "considered that it could lose as many as four members, dropping membership to eight." Aresco: "All things considered I think we'd like to be back at 12 if we lose some schools because it gives you more [TV] inventory. ... Could we stay at 10? If it makes more sense, absolutely. Especially in the short-term. We can play a championship game at 10" (AP, 8/3).
WALKING A FINE LINE: In Tampa, Joey Knight writes with "all the deftness he could muster," Aresco "tried navigating the fine line" of expansion. Aresco "acknowledged the elephant in the hotel ballroom, all while trying to keep it from trampling the proceedings -- or his product." The AAC's "looming upheaval, seemingly inevitable at this point, prevailed as a profound undercurrent on a day normally reserved for talk about depth charts and schemes" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 8/3). In Hartford, Jeff Jacobs writes, "Well said, commissioner. Unfortunately, nobody is listening" (HARTFORD COURANT, 8/3).
PARADIGM SHIFT: SI.com's Pete Thamel writes what "prompted the most chatter" yesterday was the possibility that the Big 12's expansion plans were "irking its television partners." That would "imply perhaps that the cable paradigm will be so different" in '24–25 when the Big 12's contracts end that it will "need options outside of traditional cable." Aresco said that the AAC is "in talks with Amazon to broadcast some of its women's basketball and non-revenue sports as soon as this year." Aresco added that commissioners are banking on new TV partners "being at the table" once current contracts are up. Aresco: "I positioned this conference (for) being a player in that. We could be one of the only premier conferences that have the kind of the product we have" (CAMPUSRUSH.com, 8/3).
