I'm sure this will generate a wee bit of discussion-

If he pulls off the MWC raid I'd say that's well earned. If that falls apart I'll say this was poorly timed.

Wow CollegeAD was speculating last week he would NOT be extended. Makes me think the membership likes where the expansion talks are.

(09-20-2021 03:14 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  If he pulls off the MWC raid I'd say that's well earned. If that falls apart I'll say this was poorly timed.

This. Also notable that specific details of the extension not released. Is he getting paid more, did he take a cut, were their performance based additions based on adding replacement members
https://theamerican.org/news/2021/9/20/g...nsion.aspx

I'd also note the extension timeline: through 2025.
It gives the AAC stability as it searches for new members and loses others. If they hired a new guy now, they would come in to chaos.

(09-20-2021 03:25 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Wow CollegeAD was speculating last week he would NOT be extended. Makes me think the membership likes where the expansion talks are.

That's interesting. I feel like the only reason he'd leave is to take over a P5 league.

(09-20-2021 05:23 PM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  That's interesting. I feel like the only reason he'd leave is to take over a P5 league.

Are they looking for more executives that are already in their 70s…?

I think he's done a great job as commissioner.

The P6 campaign was amazingly successful. By any rational metric, the MWC is almost the equal of the American. But by claiming the American was "P6," he got everyone to believe that the American was the clear top G5 conference.

I am kind of surprised his pay is 3 times that of Craig Thompson. I guess you get what you pay for.

(09-21-2021 05:19 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I think he's done a great job as commissioner.

The P6 campaign was amazingly successful. By any rational metric, the MWC is almost the equal of the American. But by claiming the American was "P6," he got everyone to believe that the American was the clear top G5 conference.

Which metrics are those? Pretty sure I can look at any metric I want and see the AAC has been clearly stronger and deeper in both football and basketball the whole time.

I would have found it completely understandable if Aresco had decided, after Cincy, UCF, and Houston left, "Eff this. I've had enough. I'm retiring." But those millions probably sound good to him.

Aresco did a poor job when he lost a historic m/ws basketball, and the 3 top football programs and about to lose Memphis? He failed to get more schools in like when ODU, Southern Mississippi and UMass, and gettiing Dayton and VCU to create one of the best conferences in both money sports.

(09-21-2021 07:30 AM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 05:19 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I think he's done a great job as commissioner.

The P6 campaign was amazingly successful. By any rational metric, the MWC is almost the equal of the American. But by claiming the American was "P6," he got everyone to believe that the American was the clear top G5 conference.

Which metrics are those? Pretty sure I can look at any metric I want and see the AAC has been clearly stronger and deeper in both football and basketball the whole time.

I said "almost" the equal. The MWC is a lot closer to the AAC than it is to the Sun Belt/C-USA/MAC.

From the end of the BCS era to 2019 (pre-pandemic):
New Year's Bowl victories: 1 each, 0 for other G5
End of year ranked teams: 13 for AAC, 8 for MWC, 4 for all other G5
Sweet 16 teams: 3 for AAC, 2 for MWC, 0 for all other FBS G5


2018 average attendance:
football: 28.9k for AAC, 23.8k for MWC, 18k for Sun Belt, 18k for C-USA, 15k for MAC
basketball: 6738 for MWC, 5569 for AAC, 4853 for next highest non-power conference (A-10)

(09-21-2021 08:40 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 07:30 AM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(09-21-2021 05:19 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I think he's done a great job as commissioner.

The P6 campaign was amazingly successful. By any rational metric, the MWC is almost the equal of the American. But by claiming the American was "P6," he got everyone to believe that the American was the clear top G5 conference.

Which metrics are those? Pretty sure I can look at any metric I want and see the AAC has been clearly stronger and deeper in both football and basketball the whole time.

I said "almost" the equal. The MWC is a lot closer to the AAC than it is to the Sun Belt/C-USA/MAC.

From the end of the BCS era to 2019 (pre-pandemic):
New Year's Bowl victories: 1 each, 0 for other G5
End of year ranked teams: 13 for AAC, 8 for MWC, 4 for all other G5
Sweet 16 teams: 3 for AAC, 2 for MWC, 0 for all other FBS G5


2018 average attendance:
football: 28.9k for AAC, 23.8k for MWC, 18k for Sun Belt, 18k for C-USA, 15k for MAC
basketball: 6738 for MWC, 5569 for AAC, 4853 for next highest non-power conference (A-10)

Its not close. For one, you list NY6 victories. The standard to determine who's better between the AAC and MWC is access bowls. The AAC has owned that. Boise got in (barely) the first year over the AAC teams, primarily because they were ranked higher to start the season. The only other time the AAC failed to get the access bowl was when Navy lost the post season game to Army.

Also, the AAC has ALWAYS been ranked as #6, with the AAC west being more powerful than some P5 divisions in some years. The MWC is not always the next conference, and the divide between the AAC and P5 was smaller than the divide between the AAC and the next G4 conference.

(09-21-2021 07:47 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  Aresco did a poor job when he lost a historic m/ws basketball, and the 3 top football programs and about to lose Memphis? He failed to get more schools in like when ODU, Southern Mississippi and UMass, and gettiing Dayton and VCU to create one of the best conferences in both money sports.

Aresco should get fired if those are the schools he was able to get in.

(09-21-2021 07:47 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  Aresco did a poor job when he lost a historic m/ws basketball, and the 3 top football programs and about to lose Memphis? He failed to get more schools in like when ODU, Southern Mississippi and UMass, and gettiing Dayton and VCU to create one of the best conferences in both money sports.

Hey dumb dumb what conference commissioner on earth could have kept the 3 teams that just left from leaving? Or Memphis from going to the B12 for that matter? ODU, USM, and UMASS? If those teams were or are so great they can literally be added today, tomorrow, or any day in between. There might have been ways you could have kept UCONN around, but even if you catered the last TV deal to every single thing they wanted they probably still make this move back to the Big East either then or certainly now after 2 of the top basketball brands got taken. But sure David tell me what Aresco could have done to prevent Cincy, Houston, and UCF from accepting the B12 invite since you know it all.

Good, bad or indifferent they had to extend him. They are in the middle of negotiating with schools for expansion. They can't have a lame duck Commissioner for that. Three years seems the absolute minimum they could extend. So I'm not sure that is much of an endorsement.

Say what you want about Arresco but for the AAC and the current realignment climate we are in, it was a smart move to re-sign him. The last thing you would want to do as a conference is to lose your top 3 schools with the possibility of losing a 4th and then drop your commissioner, that's a recipe for disaster.

Arresco gives them stability and the AAC needs that right now. Three years isn't that long and if he doesn't do a great job replacing UCF, Houston, and Cincinnati, then you can let him go at the end of the contract. Just MHO