College Football

Aresco: AAC's profile boosted by Big 12 expansion process

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:26 p.m. ET

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STORRS, Conn. (AP) American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco says the profile of his league has been boosted by the Big 12 expansion process.

Aresco expressed relief Tuesday that the Power Five conference chose not to expand and that none of the AAC teams being mentioned as potential candidates, such as UConn or Cincinnati, will be leaving.

But he said the fact the Big 12 was targeting American programs helps him make the argument that the AAC plays at a Power Five level and should eventually be considered part of a Power Six.

Aresco says he hopes to talk with ESPN soon about the possibility of re-opening the American's TV deal and is looking at some new potential sponsors to help increase the revenue of member schools.

The American is in the midst of a six-year, $126 million deal with ESPN that expires in 2020.