By: Engagement Insider
October 17, 2013
The world of sports is at a crossroads, and perhaps no one in America has been in a better position to observe this seismic shift than Mike Aresco.
He took a new job as Commissioner of the old Big East Conference and almost immediately had to transform it into the new American Athletic Conference (www.TheAmerican.org) as realignment changed the landscape of college sports as we knew it.
And as all this was unfolding, the former CBS Sports and ESPN executive has also been front and center for hot topics like paying college athletes, player safety, and NCAA enforcement, which are all basically redefining the definition of student-athlete.
“I had a ringside seat that I didn’t necessarily want,” said the affable Aresco, adding, “but we in the college game are all hoping there is a bit of a pause now since it’s not just about money, but more importantly about the overall effect on our student-athletes.”
Despite this upheaval with colleges changing conferences, Aresco does see a silver lining that bodes well for the future.
“The personal relationships of conference executives have been preserved during the past several years of significant shake-ups from top to bottom, and we all remain good friends, which is gratifying.”
No small accomplishment as famous old rivalries such as Georgetown-Syracuse and Maryland-Duke in basketball and Kansas-Missouri and Texas-Texas A&M in football have been disrupted.
“Ultimately in football, we would like to see a national model,” observed Aresco. “We have 10 FBS conferences that we hope can stay together, which we believe will lead to a healthier college athletic environment.”
In this evolving environment, the long-time cry for paying college athletes has never been louder.
“None of us want to pay the players since we have a different type of relationship with the student-athlete,” stated Aresco. “We provide them with the things they need, and we don’t want to lose the basic model in place since it could lead to a slippery slope. It is simply not the collegiate model.”
However, the TuftsUniversity alumnus acknowledged some changes may be in order.
“We want to do more for the student-athlete to make sure they don’t struggle in areas such as meals and entertainment, transportation for families to games, and other incidentals that could be of benefit.”
But the price of an education from an institution of higher learning remains paramount.
“There is a tremendous value to the system that has been in place for more than a century,” exclaimed Aresco. “The ability to receive an education at an outstanding institution is financially very significant since they have no college loans when they leave, after having become a part of the brand and prestige that makes up the college community.”
Which makes it all the more important to be involved and give back.
“First and foremost, our student-athletes are role models, so we don’t pretend they aren’t,” emphasized Aresco, who added, “and many of them do good deeds like visit hospitals and community service that go unnoticed.”
Instead, what does get noticed are any misdeeds.
“There are always student-athletes that do things they shouldn’t, and we are making huge progress in the areas of enforcement and compliance, which is a primary focus for all of us,” commented the Commissioner.
Just one of many areas of focus facing today’s university leaders.
“College sports have contributed a great deal as part of the cultural and social fabric of America,” acknowledged Aresco in recognizing the massive change occurring. “We want to preserve the value of sports and do not want to lose the good things.”