The American Conference football schedule format and opponents have been set for the 2026 season, the conference announced Tuesday.
The 2026 season will be the third for the American in its current 14-team configuration. The complete American roster includes Army, Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, Rice, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, USF, and UTSA.
Each American team will continue to play an eight-game conference schedule with four non-conference opponents. The American competes in one division and the top two teams in the final regular-season standings will advance to the American Football Championship Game.
The scheduling format fulfills a number of strategic and practical objectives set by the conference. There are no repeat matchups played at the same site from 2025 to 2026, and no team will avoid a particular opponent in consecutive years. Each team will play at least one road game in the Eastern and Central time zones and will have at least one road game in the state of Texas in a two-year span.
Listed below is the list of opponents for each American team for the 2026 season. The complete American football schedule for 2026 will be announced in February.
2026 American Football Opponents
Home: East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, South Florida, Tulane
Away: Memphis, Rice Temple, Tulsa
Home: East Carolina, Memphis, Navy, Tulane
Away: UAB, North Texas, Temple, Tulsa
Home: Florida Atlantic, Rice, South Florida, Temple
Away: UAB, Army, Charlotte, Memphis
Home: Navy, Rice, South Florida, UTSA
Away: Army, East Carolina, North Texas, Tulsa
Home: UAB, Army, East Carolina, Temple
Away: Charlotte, Navy, South Florida, Tulane
Home: Memphis, North Texas, Temple, Tulsa
Away: UAB, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, UTSA
Home: UAB, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Rice
Away: Navy, Tulane, Tulsa, UTSA
Home: Army, Tulane, Tulsa, UTSA
Away: East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Temple
Home: UAB, Army, Charlotte, Rice
Away: East Carolina, Memphis, Navy, South Florida
Home: Memphis, North Texas, Tulsa, UTSA
Away: Army, Charlotte, Rice, South Florida
Home: Army, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas
Away: Navy, Rice, Tulane, UTSA
Home: Charlotte, East Carolina, Navy, UTSA
Away: Memphis, North Texas, South Florida, Temple
Home: UAB, Memphis, Temple, Tulane
Away: Army, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, UTSA
Home: Navy, North Texas, South Florida, Tulsa
Away: UAB, Florida Atlantic, Rice, Tulane
The American Conference should adopt a version of the 3-5-5 format for conference games, with the following protected opponents:
Army: Charlotte, East Carolina, Temple
Charlotte: Army, East Carolina, Temple
East Carolina: Army, Charlotte, Navy
Florida Atlantic: Memphis, South Florida, UAB
Memphis: Florida Atlantic, Tulsa, UAB
Navy: East Carolina, Temple, Tulane
North Texas: Rice, Tulsa, UTSA
Rice: North Texas, Tulane, UTSA
South Florida: Florida Atlantic, Tulane, UAB
Temple: Army, Charlotte, Navy
Tulane: Navy, Rice, South Florida
Tulsa: Memphis, North Texas, UTSA
UAB: Florida Atlantic, Memphis, South Florida
UTSA: North Texas, Rice, Tulsa
These games can then be played on Thanksgiving weekend:
Army-Temple
Charlotte-East Carolina
Florida Atlantic-South Florida
Memphis-UAB
Navy-Tulane
North Texas-Tulsa
Rice-UTSA
Army and Navy would not be allowed to meet in conference play in order to preserve the game’s place on the second Saturday in December. In years where they would otherwise be scheduled to meet in conference play, Army and Navy would instead be allowed to count their games against Air Force as conference games for purposes of determining the teams that meet in the conference championship game, otherwise Army and Navy would only have seven games that count as conference opponents compared to the other schools which would have eight. Conversely, Army and Navy would not count as Mountain West opponents for Air Force.
You don’t know Memphis football traditional opponents. Maybe UAB, I would say Tulane and either Navy or South Florida
I specifically crafted this format in part to ensure that the American can stage the optimal Thanksgiving weekend schedule.
Furthermore while Navy-Tulane is the only non-geographical rivalry on the ideal Thanksgiving weekend schedule, it does reflect the fact that there is a Navy base near New Orleans where Tulane is located, and lots of people off the base with ties to the Navy.
Memphis VS. UAB is NOT a rivalry. The battle for the bones is a cool trophy, but that’s about it. It is the most contrived “rivalry” ever. The equivalent of the Naval Pentagon is just outside Memphis. So there is a huge Navy fan base living on base about 20 miles from Memphis. That is always a good game with both sides being well represented. That is a much more natural rivalry game.
The “no team will avoid a particular opponent in consecutive years” is false, as far as the conference schedule is concerned. Army and Navy have not played an American conference game against each other. Each of their contests since Army joined the conference have been non-conference games. If the teams are not playing each other in conference games the teams (conference schedule makers) are, in fact, avoiding particular opponents in consecutive years as it pertains to the conference schedule and the conference championship.
On a side note, I think the Army-Navy game should be moved to the very first game of the year in week 0, or maybe after whatever two teams are playing in Ireland. The reason I propose such a move is so that weekend can be the new conference championship weekend for the power 4 conferences. With so many teams, and no divisions, the power 4 should have a 1v4, 2v3 conference semi finals the current championship weekend and bump the championship games one week.
Sounds better to me