The Big East Conference has hired CBS Sports executive vice president of programming Mike Aresco, a Connecticut native, as its commissioner, multiple media outlets are reporting. A source also has confirmed the hiring to The Courant.
Aresco is responsible for college sports programming for both CBS Sports and CBS College Sports Network. He joined CBS Sports in 1996.
His CBS bio also says he was responsible for managing the division’s college sports properties, including contract negotiations and future acquisitions for the NCAA men’s basketball championship, regular season college basketball and football, and bowl games.
Aresco joined CBS Sports from ESPN.
He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Tufts College (B.A., magna cum laude, history); the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts (M.A., international relations), and the University of Connecticut Law School (J.D.). He was born in Middletown and lives in Greenwich with his wife, Sharon, and their son, Brett. Another son, Matthew, formerly a producer for the Versus Cable Television Network, recently established his own independent production company.
His hiring comes at an opportune time. The Big East enters negotiations with ESPN on a new television contract Sept. 1. It was clear the league would look to someone with media negotiating experience to replace former commissioner John Marinatto, who resigned last spring. The Big East rejected a $155 million annual deal with ESPN last year.
The Big East also has hired Bevilacqua Helfant Ventures as the lead negotiator in its television negotiations, the conference said in a statement Monday.
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13 Responses to Mike Aresco, Reported New Big East Commissioner, Former CBS Sports Exec And Connecticut Native
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The biggest part of this important negotiation is the fact that he hired Chris Bevilacqua to consult and get the tv deal done. If he keeps making great decisions like that, the big east is in good hands. The best of the best
I am sure that this is a great man. Unfortunately for the Big East the horse has left the barn. They need to get at least the same amount of money each ACC school is getting for the Big East to remain respectful. And… they need to make a whole new Big East by poaching back the teams that left. The football schools and basketball schools can still survive together by forming two divisions for basketball. Keep MSG as the centerpiece of the tourney. That would create an unbelievable conference that would have nationwide respect. I don’t believe that Temple, Navy, and San Diego State replace the loss of WVU, Pitt and Cuse. Without those, there are really no natural rivalries any more.
NBC is offering a lot of money for the rights to all football and basketball big east games and Notre Dame football recently in the news. Google – NBC Big East- . NBC sees the potential of all day football across the time zones from morning to night for the football junkies because of the national spread of the big east conf. So now Pitt, Syracuse, WV, BC, et al, do you want to re-up? Now we may have the premier tv bidding rights battle as CBS v NBC, and if CBS has the inside track in their scheme with their commissioner, i hope they do not go cheap and secretly pay off people. Big money makes strange partners as i was reading in the UMASS blog that UMASS and UCONN want to play each other regularly because the trip is just a bus ride and they all save and make money, especially with the free rent at foxboro. Imagine the advertising revenues paid to one league all day long to be shared by all the schools. Even LOYOLA has a dog in the fight as they have a Womens Big East team. ( lacross and they are champions).
I think it’s a sad day for sports when the Big East hires a TV sports executive to lead the conference. Let’s remember who founded the conference and made it great. It’s sad to say, but it’s probably good that Dave Gavitt didn’t have to witness this.
How many games does coach P have to win to keep a job? Vegas has uconn at 5 1/2 season total. Not much faith in uconn.
Will Syracuse and Pitt be trying to return if the $$$ go north of the ACC
Agree with Chris he maybe a home run hire, but does he have a stick in the fight any longer?
They turned down the 155 mill and have sense lost two more premier teams. For him to get that back with what we have left would be amazing. Let alone possibly more?
Dez, let Mike know we here have his back. He probably knows nothing of the jerks magic pumpkin or the family Navin has on the porch.
I’ll do all I can as I did drive by Tufts once….
Let’s hope…..
I may have driven by Tufts once too, hard to say really, I was probaly drunk
I agree with Chris…looks like the Big East has made some great decisions in the past few days. It’s been a looooong time coming!
After TV negotiations are concluded, let’s hope they move HDQ out of Providence to Southwestern CT or NYC to be closer major media players…
Did he work for the same CBS that produces 60 minutes? The same CBS that cut out parts of Paul Ryans explanation about medicare? Just curious
He actually works/ worked for CBS Sports, which has nothing to do with 60 minutes. It is a totally seperate division than CBS news.
From reading his bio I really like this hire Dez. His mission is clear. Bevilaqua and Aresco are responsible for the TV negotiations. Guy has a wealth of experience that should serve the league well. Home run hire if you ask me.
Do you have anything positive to say about anything anymore?