AAC commissioner Mike Aresco on power five autonomy

As you likely know by now, the NCAA Division 1 board of directors voted today to give greater autonomy to the 65 schools in the so-called "power five" conferences -- the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, ACC and SEC.

Obviously, that leaves UConn and the American Athletic Conference out of the party. But AAC commish Mike Aresco has vowed that AAC schools will be able to play by the same rules as the power-five programs (more scholarship money, better health insurance, etc.), and he reiterated that in a statement released this afternoon.

Here's Aresco's statement:

"We are pleased that the NCAA Governance Redesign Model was adopted today by the NCAA Board of Directors. We extend our congratulations to Dr. Nathan Hatch and to the NCAA Steering Committee for its excellent work in designing a model that we believe will enjoy broad acceptance. We also appreciate the exemplary efforts of our NCAA Board representative, Dr. John Hitt of UCF, and our Conference Board chair, Dr. Gerald Turner of SMU, who were deeply engaged in this process.

Our conference membership supports the new governance model and the opportunities it will present to enhance the student-athlete experience and student-athlete welfare. Our presidents and athletic directors are steadfast in their commitment to these ideals and also to providing our student-athletes with the ability to compete at the highest level of collegiate athletics."