Mike Aresco, the only commissioner in the 11-year history of the American Athletic Conference, announced Thursday he will retire at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.
Aresco was originally named the commissioner of the Big East Conference in 2012 and helped to oversee the creation of the AAC during a conference realignment.
“It has been the supreme privilege of my long career in sports to have had the opportunity to lead this great conference from its reinvention in 2013, and to represent its outstanding student-athletes, coaches and administrators,” Aresco said in a statement. “There have also been some disappointments and difficulties along the way, most notably, the P5-G5 (Power 5-Group of 5) divide, realignment, College Football Playoff access for our deserving teams and some competitive heartbreak in big games.
“But these have not affected in any way my enthusiasm in leading this terrific and resilient conference or my optimism for its long-term future.”
Under his watch, the league produced four NCAA championship teams, a College Football Playoff semifinalist, four New Year’s Six bowl champions, two NCAA Men’s Final Four teams and six Women’s Final Four teams.
Aresco’s tenure will officially end on May 31.
–Field Level Media
