The American Athletic Conference is the new name for the Big East Conference, commissioner Mike Aresco announced this evening.
“American Athletic Conference represents a strong, durable and aspirational name for our reinvented Conference” Aresco said in a release.
“Our name is a nod to tradition, but at the same time makes clear our determination to be a Conference with national impact and appeal. The American Athletic Conference will represent core American values of optimism, energy, growth and innovation. We have a broad geographical footprint that represents unity as well as diversity.”
Instead of using the acronym AAC, the conference will instead use “The American” as its brand. They plan to launch their new website at its new domain on July 1. Logos will also be released at a later date.
In its inaugural season, the American Athletic Conference will consist of Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, Rutgers, SMU, Temple, UCF, and USF.
For the 2014 football season, The American will have 11 members after the departure of Louisville and Rutgers and addition of three schools: Cincinnati, Connecticut, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, SMU, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, UCF, and USF.
Navy joins in 2015 in football only, and at that time The American will split into divisions and have a championship game hosted by the highest-rated division champ.
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