Middletown Native Mike Aresco Named Big East Commissioner

Middletown native and graduate Mike Aresco was named Tuesday to lead the Big East collegiate athletics conference, according to USA Today.

Aresco, 62, who lives in Southport, is a 1986 graduate of Xavier in Middletown and a member of the Kestrel student newspaper for three years. He played baseball, intramural basketball and participated in the debating club, was a member of the National Honor Society and won the poetry award as a sophomore, according to The Midletown Press.

He is a 1976 graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Aresco beat out other candidates in an international search, according to ESPN. "The next commissioner will need to create stability to encourage current and future members to stick with the conference if and when leagues such as the Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference look to expand again," ESPN reported.

The Xavier High School website included Aresco's 1968 yearbook photos and the following post:

"Mike was involved in a wide variety of activities that have probably been useful in his career. Baseball and debating were important activities as a junior an senior. Some of Mike's other activities included bowing, sodality and drama cub.

Director of Advancement Matt Strekel '99 congratulated Aresco with this post on the website: "I am very pleased to hear that you have been named Commissioner of the Big East Conference! I have no doubt that the lessons learned here at Xavier will carry you to much success within the Conference. We are all very excited for your appointment."

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