At the end of the day, the Big East did not think outside of the box in hiring its next commissioner. In fact, the league stayed very much in the box — the box formerly known as a TV set.
The league will announce today the hiring of former CBS executive Mike Aresco as the man whose legacy will depend on whether or not he can secure a TV deal that is lucrative enough to keep the league from splitting into pieces.
It is a daunting challenge, but Aresco, who will work closely with consultant Chris Bevilacqua’s firm, Bevilacqua Helfant, might just have the stars align.
The Big East is the last major source of live college sports programming on the market, and it’s a market that has shown no signs of cooling. Sources told The Post that Comcast/NBC, ESPN, FOX and CBS/Turner are interested in a property that now spans all four time zones in the United States, from UConn to San Diego St.
After having lost Boston College, Miami, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and West Virginia over the years, only a mega TV deal can save the league. Louisville and Connecticut continue to monitor possible moves to the Big 12 and ACC, respectively.
ESPN has a 60-day exclusive negotiating window with the Big East that begins on Sept. 1. If the two sides don’t agree on a deal, the Big East becomes a free agent. Multiple sources said it was unlikely the league wouldn’t test those lucrative waters.
“The next 90 days will define the future of the conference,’’ Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti said.
The TV deal is of such paramount importance that issues such as finding a bold visionary (think Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott) who can bridge the gap between the basketball-centric old guard and football-centric new members is a secondary consideration.
Other issues such as exposure, revenue sharing, commitment and exit fees are tertiary. As it turns out, Aresco could be an ideal consensus builder.
He worked at ESPN beginning in 1984 when that network and the Big East were fledgling entities. Since moving to CBS in 1996, he handled the networks negotiations for the NCAA tournament. Those credentials should give the basketball schools a sense of comfort.
“The skill set he brings as one of the leaders in the broadcasting industry is tailor-made for the Big East this time in our history,” St. John’s athletic director Chris Monasch said in a statement. “We look forward to working with Mike to make the Big East Conference stronger than ever.”
The football schools have to be impressed with Aresco’s experience and success in negotiating TV deals. He conceived of the idea of moving the Army-Navy game to the second weekend in December, when it enjoys an exclusive TV window, and he handled CBS’ negotiations with the football-crazed SEC that resulted in a 15-year deal.
With Aresco and Bevilacqua, the Big East has a formidable 1-2 TV punch. Now it needs a knockout TV contract.