Commissioner Aresco's opening remarks from today. Very TL but a good read.
http://www.theamerican.org/news/2017/7/18/FB_0718170638.aspxThis is a critical period for The American Athletic Conference, and we approach it with optimism and confidence. The conference is clearly on the cusp of great things, having already accomplished so much in our relatively brief history. We have issued a strategic plan that will guide our efforts to be and remain a Power6 conference, that will provide us with benchmarks to measure our progress, that sets forth our priorities and emphasizes student-athlete health and well-being, and providing them with educational and athletic opportunities at the highest levels. We recently added Wichita State University as a basketball and Olympic sports member, and we welcome them. They are a great addition and add stature to our league.
When this conference was formed in 2013, we were not sure what we had, what our impact on the national collegiate scene would be, but we were confident, determined and hopeful, and, despite the headwinds we faced and the naysayers, we had good reason to be optimistic. We have schools that desired to compete at the highest levels, that have flourished in a strong, competitive, dynamic conference that receives terrific media exposure. Our schools have met with success and have built a Power6 brand. I had no doubt they would – in football, in men’s and women’s basketball, in Olympic sports. Neither did our Presidents and Athletic Directors have any doubt despite the obstacles. We were not about to settle for anything less than excellence. Vince Lombardi once said that if you do not settle for anything less than the best, you will be amazed at what you can do, amazed at how much you can rise.
We also have a pedigree, we have six schools that were BCS or old Southwest Conference schools - and joining these schools with others that were yearning to compete at the highest level has created a powerful dynamic. This competitive dynamic has resulted in great success – two major New Year’s bowl wins, 19 P6/Notre Dame wins in football over the past two years, wins over Penn State, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Florida State, Louisville twice, Pitt twice, Syracuse, VA Tech, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Purdue, the list goes on. 32 games with television viewership of 1M or more viewers in the past two years, and our football championship game on ABC the past two years. Not to mention a men’s basketball championship in 2014, three women’s basketball championships, including the remarkable UConn 111-win streak, and individual Olympic sports champions. A Power6 resume indeed!
Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 8:27 am