Kristian Ferrell
The American Athletic Conference (AAC) is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States, featuring 13 full-member universities and 6 affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I. Its men's basketball teams were once considered a power conference, but due to the departures of several key schools and weak non-conference scheduling, the AAC has been relegated to a mid-major conference. The new commissioner, Tim Pernetti, has expressed his intention to improve the league's basketball profile by strengthening non-conference schedules, but this has proven challenging due to the reluctance of power conference schools to risk losing games.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | American Athletic Conference (AAC) |
| Number of Men's Basketball Teams | 13 |
| Status | Not considered a power conference in basketball |
| Ranking | No. 9-rated conference in the country by Ken Pomeroy's metrics |
| Previous Ranking | No. 11 in KenPom's rankings |
| NCAA Tournament Bids | Two-bid league for four straight seasons |
| NCAA Tournament History | Sent more than two teams to March Madness in 2019 |
| Members | Wichita State, Dayton, VCU, Memphis, North Texas, etc. |
| Former Members | Connecticut, Houston, Cincinnati, SMU, UCF |
| Commissioner | Tim Pernetti |
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What You'll Learn
The AAC's status as a power conference
The American Athletic Conference (AAC) has long been considered a power conference in basketball. However, in recent years, the AAC has seen a decline in its status, with some even considering it a "mid-major" conference.
The AAC's predecessor, the original Big East Conference, was considered one of the six collegiate power conferences of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) era in college football. When the Big East Conference split, the AAC inherited that status during the BCS's final season. The AAC, which started its competitive history in the 2013-14 season, has been working to establish itself as a power conference in basketball as well.
For a while, there was some merit to the argument that the AAC was a power conference in men's basketball. However, a mass exodus of teams from the conference, including Connecticut, Houston, Cincinnati, SMU, and UCF, has weakened the AAC's position. The AAC has struggled to send more than two teams to March Madness in recent years, and its ranking among other conferences has declined.
The AAC's current commissioner, Tim Pernetti, has recognized the need for the league to reinvent itself and is focusing on improving the league's basketball profile. This includes encouraging stronger non-conference schedules for its member teams, although this has proven challenging due to the reluctance of power conference schools to risk losing games. Despite the challenges, Pernetti remains optimistic about the future of the AAC, and efforts are being made to strengthen the conference's position in basketball.
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The AAC's basketball prowess
The AAC, formerly known as the American Athletic Conference, has long been regarded as a formidable basketball conference. With a history that traces back to the Big East Conference, the AAC has consistently showcased competitive basketball programmes and produced successful teams.
Despite these setbacks, the AAC remains committed to enhancing its basketball profile. The addition of Wichita State in 2017 as a full non-football member was a strategic move to bolster the conference's basketball strength. Wichita State's basketball programme is highly regarded, and their inclusion elevated the overall competitiveness of the AAC.
The AAC's current commissioner, Tim Pernetti, has expressed a strong focus on improving the league's standing in basketball. He has emphasised the need for stronger non-conference schedules, recognising the importance of challenging power conference schools to elevate the AAC's reputation. This includes encouraging teams to schedule games against top-ranked opponents to increase the potential for Quad 1 victories, a strategy employed by North Texas in their non-conference scheduling.
While the AAC may have lost some of its lustre due to the mass exodus of members, it still possesses talented teams and a rich basketball history. The conference is taking proactive steps to regain its stature, and with dedicated leadership and strategic planning, the AAC can once again become a dominant force in college basketball.
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The AAC's membership
The American Athletic Conference (AAC), also known as The American, is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. It features 13 full member universities and 6 affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
The AAC's member universities represent a range of private and public research universities of various enrollment sizes located primarily in urban metropolitan areas in the Northeastern, Midwestern, and Southern regions of the United States. The AAC's legal predecessor, the original Big East Conference, was considered one of the six collegiate power conferences of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) era in college football, and the AAC inherited that status in the BCS's final season.
The AAC was founded in 1979 as a basketball conference and included the colleges of Providence, St. John's, Georgetown, and Syracuse. These colleges then invited Connecticut (UConn), Holy Cross, Rutgers, and Boston College to become members. UConn and Boston College accepted the invitation, while Holy Cross and Rutgers initially declined. Seton Hall was then invited to replace Holy Cross, and the conference started play with seven members. Villanova and Pittsburgh joined shortly thereafter.
The conference remained largely unchanged until 1991 when it began to sponsor football, adding Miami as a full member, and Rutgers, Temple, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia as football-only members. Rutgers and West Virginia were offered full membership in all sports in 1995, while Virginia Tech had to wait until 2000 for the same offer. Temple football was expelled after the 2004 season but rejoined in 2012 and intended to become a full member in 2013.
In March 2017, media reports indicated that the AAC was considering adding one or more new members specifically as basketball upgrades. Wichita State, Dayton, and VCU were considered, with Wichita State being the strongest candidate. The AAC's board of directors voted unanimously to add Wichita State, making them the league's first full non-football member since the Big East split.
In September 2021, several national media outlets reported that Mountain West Conference (MW) members Air Force and Colorado State had approached the AAC about a possible move to their league. However, the MW announced that its current membership would remain intact, and the AAC officially denied extending invitations to the two Colorado schools. Later that month, it was reported that six members of Conference USA—Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA—had submitted applications to join the AAC, which would bring its full-member count to 14.
In September 2022, it was reported that three AAC members—Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF—had accepted offers to join the Big 12 Conference no later than the 2024-25 season. It was possible that Cincinnati and UCF could remain in the AAC as affiliate members for women's lacrosse and men's soccer, respectively, as the Big 12 does not sponsor those sports. UCF later accepted an offer of men's soccer membership from the Sun Belt Conference effective in 2023.
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The AAC's ranking
The American Athletic Conference (AAC), also known as The American, is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. It features 13 full member universities and 6 affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
The AAC's legal predecessor, the original Big East Conference, was considered one of the six collegiate power conferences of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) era in college football, and The American inherited that status in the BCS's final season. The Big East Conference was founded in 1979 as a basketball conference and included colleges such as Providence, St. John's, Georgetown, Syracuse, UConn, and Boston College.
In recent years, there have been efforts to characterise the AAC as a power conference in men's basketball. While there was some merit to that argument, a mass exodus has since relegated the American to a clear mid-major, and a less-than-elite one at that. In the 2023-24 season, the AAC was ranked No. 11 in KenPom's rankings, behind conferences such as the Mountain West, WCC, and Atlantic-10.
The AAC has undergone a rebranding, changing its name to the American Conference, introducing a new logo, tagline, and brand ambassador. The conference has also considered adding new members specifically as basketball upgrades, with Wichita State joining as the league's first full non-football member in 2017.
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The AAC's future
The AAC, or The American Athletic Conference, has had a tumultuous past few years, with several schools leaving the conference. SMU, for instance, left for the Atlantic Coast Conference, and UConn left for the Big East Conference in 2020. This has resulted in a perception of the AAC as a mid-major conference, rather than a power conference.
The AAC has also seen several schools break away and form their own league, retaining the name Big East. This included the so-called "Catholic Seven" basketball schools: Providence, St. John's, Georgetown, Syracuse, Villanova, Seton Hall, and Marquette. The AAC, which considers the 2013-14 season as the start of its competitive history, has had to reinvent itself.
In 2024, Tim Pernetti took over as commissioner and focused on rebranding and reinventing the league. The AAC introduced a new logo, tagline, and ethos, and even a brand ambassador—Soar the Eagle. The AAC has also been exploring moving its men's and women's basketball tournaments after the 2025-26 season, and is open to the possibility of separating the tournaments.
The AAC has been considering adding new members to boost its numbers, with several Conference USA teams potentially joining. These include Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA. However, it is unclear if these additions will be enough to elevate the AAC's status to a power conference in basketball.
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Frequently asked questions
AAC stands for American Athletic Conference.
The AAC is not considered a power conference in basketball. While it was once regarded as the strongest basketball league outside of the power structure, the title has since been lost due to the departures of several prominent universities and weak non-conference scheduling.
The AAC emerged from the Big East Conference, which was founded in 1979 as a basketball conference. Following a series of defections, the remaining schools formed the American Athletic Conference, also known as "The American."
In recent years, the AAC has struggled to send more than two teams to March Madness.
The new commissioner of the AAC, Tim Pernetti, has emphasized the need for stronger non-conference scheduling to enhance the league's basketball reputation.
