Keep Clam, looks like the Big East picked Mike Aresco: http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8267843/sources-big-east-hire-mike-aresco-commish
My sense is that Mark Abbott's job is to be a competent administrator and good company man. He doesn't do the vision thing much. All the same, I am very happy I still have a chance to achieve great worldly success and nirvana, too, before I turn 50, since the world is not ending just yet.
I disagree. Mark Abbott built the league from the ground up at a time when no one thought that there could be another American professional soccer league after the NASL folded. Obviously he didn't do it alone but he's been with it since the very beginning and his long-term vision is a big reason why the league is currently stable and has enjoyed significant growth in the past few years. He's a very well-respected member of the sports business community and an asset to the league and I'm glad he's staying.