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If I were the commissioner of the American Athletic Conference, I would be nervous right now. I would be nervous because when the Big 12 announced last week that it was going to jump back into the expansion waters, the list of likely candidates to join included Houston, Cincinnati, Memphis, Connecticut, UCF, BYU and maybe Colorado State. Five of those schools are members of the 12-team AAC. What if the Big 12 gets really frisky and takes four of those schools? Can the AAC, which has been the strongest conference outside of the Power Five, survive such a blow? That’s why I would be nervous. If I were the commissioner of the American Athletic Conference, I would be nervous right now. I would be nervous because when the Big 12 announced last week that it was going to jump back into the expansion waters, the list of likely candidates to join included Houston, Cincinnati, Memphis, Connecticut, UCF, BYU and maybe Colorado State. Five of those schools are members of the 12-team AAC. What if the Big 12 gets really frisky and takes four of those schools? Can the AAC, which has been the strongest conference outside of the Power Five, survive such a blow? That’s why I would be nervous. But when I talked to AAC commissioner Mike Aresco this week, he was anything but nervous. He is doing what all good leaders do. He’s working the issue with his eyes wide open, his ego in the desk drawer and with the best information possible. “In these situations, communication is critical,” said Aresco, who was a long-time television executive before getting into college administration. “I’ve been talking to the (athletic directors) and the president of the schools that might leave, and it looks like some of them will. We’re talking to each other and trying to figure out the future. We expect everyone who leaves will leave on good terms.” read more: http://gridironnow.com/big-12-expansion-aac-mike-aresco/