Mike Aresco Named Big East Commissioner

Mike Aresco, a former executive vice president at CBS Sports, is new Big East commissioner.  (Photo courtesy of Connecticut Post)

Three months after the near-three-year reign of John Marinatto came to a disappointing close, the Big East Conference this morning found his permanent replacement.

Mike Aresco, previously an executive at CBS Sports, will assume the position after being officially announced by the league office later today.  Aresco becomes the fourth permanent commissioner in the Big East's 33-year history, and replaces interim commissioner Joe Bailey just several weeks before the start of football season.  The network executive spent the last sixteen years with CBS, the final four of which were as the executive vice president of programming for the home of the NCAA Tournament.  Most importantly for the Big East, Aresco is a proven commodity in negotiating broadcast rights, something the conference will begin next month since its contract with ESPN expires following next season.  While at CBS, Aresco was not only a key figure in securing the renewal of CBS' coverage of both the NCAA Tournament and Southeastern Conference football/basketball, he also provided the early framework for the Mountain West and CBS Sports Networks to succeed and grow in their respective infancies.  Prior to his CBS career, the Tufts University graduate worked at ESPN; helping the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" develop a diverse range of sports coverage as well as the development of college football "Bowl Week" in late December, featuring such games as the Holiday, Peach and Alamo Bowls.  Aresco is also a private attorney, having practiced law in Hartford, Connecticut in the past.

Aresco was selected over a number of rumored candidates, including ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas, and already comes into the league office in Providence with mounds of praise from both colleagues and the media.  Former Boston Globe columnist Mark Blaudschun, who now runs his own website, was first to report the hire this morning; and heralded his ability to "deal with people," calling him both "charming and tough at the same time."  The hire comes one day after the conference trusted consultant Chris Bevilacqua to lead the league in its aforementioned broadcast rights negotiations.

Winning the hire is one thing.  Now, the Big East must prove that they made the right choice.  Mike Aresco seems like the right man for the job, and should make short work of whatever questions may be raised from his under-the-radar hire.