Aresco says no chance of UConn staying as football member

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco says there is no chance the conference will keep the University of Connecticut as a football-only member.

UConn this week agreed to rejoin the Big East Conference for basketball and most other sports. The Big East does not compete in football.

UConn Athletic Director David Benedict said Thursday he wanted to talk to Aresco about football.

The AAC’s bylaws require UConn to give 27 months’ notice and pay a $10 million exit fee to leave.

Aresco, speaking to The Associated Press on Thursday, says if UConn wants to negotiate an earlier departure, it needs to initiate that conversations, something he says has not yet happened.

Aresco also says he doesn’t believe the school’s departure will hurt his league. He says no decisions have been made on whether the league will seek to replace UConn, though he says there already have been inquiries.

He also says the league won’t prioritize the Northeast if it does decide to bring on a new member, emphasizing the AAC is a national brand.