Statement From American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco

FORT WORTH, Texas – American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco has issued the following statement in advance of the start of the American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship.

In recent weeks I have seen references to the “Power Five” in interviews and public conversations which suggest that the P5 is all that matters in college athletics. This is profoundly misguided, especially in the current environment.

As it now stands, in terms of competitiveness, the gap between the number two and three conferences is far greater than between the number three conference and The American. There are P5 conferences that have lost the marquee teams which gave them that status in the…