The American Athletic Conference football schedule format has been set for the 2023 through 2026 seasons, the conference announced on Wednesday.
Beginning in 2023, the American Athletic Conference will include 14 football-playing members following the departure of three schools — Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF — and the addition of six schools — Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA.
Each American team will play an eight-game conference schedule and will face the other 13 conference members at least twice during the four-year cycle, once at home and once on the road.
Under the new format, six matchups will be played annually: North Texas-SMU, UAB-Memphis, Rice-UTSA, Charlotte-East Carolina, Florida Atlantic-USF, and Navy-Temple.
Additionally, all 14 American teams will compete in one division as the conference has the past few years. The two teams with the highest winning percentage in conference play will advance to the American Football Championship Game.
“This scheduling model fulfills all of the objectives that we identified as we look forward to competition among our 14 outstanding teams,” said Aresco. “Most important, it is a fair model that has the unanimous support of our athletic directors. It allows for all four-year student-athletes to play at all of our venues at least once during their careers. It reestablishes some longstanding geographic rivalries and provides a foundation for new rivalries to develop. It also provides all of our teams with annual access to the state of Texas and other important recruiting areas.”
Listed below are the complete list of opponents for each American team for the 2023 through 2026 seasons:
FUTURE AMERICAN OPPONENTS
2023
Home: Rice, Memphis, Florida Atlantic, Navy
Away: Tulsa, SMU, USF, East Carolina
2024
Home: SMU, UAB, USF, East Carolina
Away: North Texas, Memphis, Florida Atlantic, Temple
2025
Home: Tulsa, UTSA, Tulane, Temple
Away: Rice, UAB, East Carolina, Navy
2026
Home: North Texas, Florida Atlantic, East Carolina, Navy
Away: Tulsa, UTSA, Tulane, USF
2023
Home: Tulsa, SMU, Tulane, Charlotte
Away: UTSA, Rice, Florida Atlantic, Navy
2024
Home: North Texas, Memphis, Florida Atlantic, Temple
Away: SMU, UAB, USF, Charlotte
2025
Home: UAB, USF, Charlotte, Navy
Away: Rice, Tulane, Florida Atlantic, Temple
2026
Home: SMU, UTSA, Rice, Tulane
Away: Tulsa, North Texas, Memphis, Charlotte
2023
Home: Tulsa, UTSA, Tulane, East Carolina
Away: Rice, UAB, USF, Charlotte
2024
Home: North Texas, Rice, USF, Charlotte
Away: Tulsa, SMU, East Carolina, Navy
2025
Home: SMU, UAB, East Carolina, Temple
Away: North Texas, Tulane, Memphis, USF
2026
Home: Tulsa, Memphis, USF, Navy
Away: UTSA, UAB, Charlotte, Temple
2023
Home: SMU, Tulane, USF, Navy
Away: North Texas, UAB, Charlotte, Temple
2024
Home: Tulsa, UAB, Charlotte, Temple
Away: UTSA, Tulane, East Carolina, Navy
2025
Home: North Texas, UTSA, Rice, Florida Atlantic
Away: Tulsa, SMU, UAB, USF
2026
Home: SMU, Tulane, UAB, East Carolina
Away: UTSA, Rice, Florida Atlantic, Temple
2023
Home: North Texas, UAB, USF, East Carolina
Away: SMU, Memphis, Charlotte, Temple
2024
Home: UTSA, Memphis, Florida Atlantic, Temple
Away: Tulsa, Rice, Tulane, USF
2025
Home: SMU, Rice, Tulane, Charlotte
Away: UTSA, UAB, East Carolina, Temple
2026
Home: Tulsa, UAB, USF, Temple
Away: North Texas, Tulane, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte
2023
Home: UTSA, Memphis, UAB, Temple
Away: Tulsa, SMU, Tulane, Navy
2024
Home: SMU, Rice, USF, Charlotte
Away: UTSA, UAB, Florida Atlantic, East Carolina
2025
Home: Tulsa, UTSA, Tulane, Florida Atlantic
Away: SMU, Memphis, USF, Temple
2026
Home: SMU, USF, East Carolina, Navy
Away: Tulsa, Rice, Tulane, Charlotte
2023
Home: SMU, Tulane, Florida Atlantic, East Carolina
Away: Tulsa, UTSA, USF, Charlotte
2024
Home: Tulsa, UTSA, USF, Navy
Away: North Texas, SMU, Tulane, Florida Atlantic
2025
Home: UAB, Charlotte, East Carolina, Temple
Away: Tulsa, UTSA, Memphis, Navy
2026
Home: North Texas, UTSA, Tulane, Memphis
Away: SMU, UAB, East Carolina, Temple
2023
Home: Tulsa, North Texas, Charlotte, Navy
Away: Rice, Memphis, East Carolina, Temple
2024
Home: Rice, UAB, Florida Atlantic, East Carolina
Away: North Texas, Tulane, USF, Charlotte
2025
Home: North Texas, Tulane, Memphis, USF
Away: Tulsa, UTSA, Florida Atlantic, Navy
2026
Home: Tulsa, UTSA, Rice, Temple
Away: North Texas, Memphis, UAB, East Carolina
2023
Home: SMU, UTSA, Memphis, Navy
Away: Tulsa, North Texas, UAB, USF
2024
Home: Tulsa, Tulane, UAB, Charlotte
Away: UTSA, Memphis, East Carolina, Navy
2025
Home: North Texas, USF, East Carolina, Navy
Away: Rice, Tulane, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte
2026
Home: UTSA, Rice, Memphis, Florida Atlantic
Away: SMU, UAB, USF, Navy
2023
Home: Tulsa, North Texas, UTSA, UAB
Away: Rice, Memphis, Florida Atlantic, East Carolina
2024
Home: SMU, Rice, Memphis, Navy
Away: Tulsa, UTSA, UAB, Temple
2025
Home: USF, Florida Atlantic, East Carolina, Temple
Away: North Texas, SMU, Charlotte, Navy
2026
Home: Tulsa, North Texas, Charlotte, Navy
Away: Rice, Memphis, USF, East Carolina
2023
Home: North Texas, Rice, Charlotte, Temple
Away: SMU, Tulane, Florida Atlantic, East Carolina
2024
Home: UTSA, Tulane, Florida Atlantic, Navy
Away: Rice, Memphis, UAB, Temple
2025
Home: SMU, Rice, Memphis, UAB
Away: North Texas, UTSA, USF, Charlotte
2026
Home: North Texas, USF, Charlotte, East Carolina
Away: SMU, Tulane, Florida Atlantic, Navy
2023
Home: Memphis, USF, Florida Atlantic, Temple
Away: North Texas, UTSA, Tulane, Navy
2024
Home: Tulsa, North Texas, Tulane, East Carolina
Away: SMU, Memphis, Charlotte, Temple
2025
Home: UTSA, Memphis, Charlotte, Navy
Away: Tulsa, Rice, Florida Atlantic, East Carolina
2026
Home: SMU, Rice, Florida Atlantic, Temple
Away: UTSA, Memphis, USF, Navy
2023
Home: Rice, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte, Temple
Away: UTSA, Memphis, UAB, Navy
2024
Home: SMU, UTSA, East Carolina, Navy
Away: North Texas, Rice, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte
2025
Home: Tulsa, North Texas, Memphis, Florida Atlantic
Away: SMU, Tulane, East Carolina, Temple
2026
Home: Tulane, UAB, Charlotte, Temple
Away: Tulsa, North Texas, Florida Atlantic, Navy
2023
Home: Rice, UAB, USF, East Carolina
Away: North Texas, Tulane, Florida Atlantic, Temple
2024
Home: North Texas, Tulane, Memphis, Temple
Away: Tulsa, Rice, USF, Navy
2025
Home: Tulsa, SMU, Rice, Navy
Away: North Texas, Memphis, UAB, Charlotte
2026
Home: Memphis, UAB, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte
Away: SMU, Rice, East Carolina, Temple
I like how all the schools rushed to pair up with their regional travel buddy, even if some of them were definitely replacements for old travel buddies they had a conference or two ago, but Tulsa and Tulane looked at each other (or maybe at UAB and Memphis?) and were like… nahhhhhh…
You’re confusing travel partners (a non-revenue sports concept) with nearby in-state (or other connection: I-22 Memphis/Bham, Navy used to play games in Philadelphia regularly) connections. Tulsa’s in Oklahoma. Tulane’s in Louisiana. They’re not needing an annual rival. The others have a natural affinity.
So 12 of the 14 teams will have a permanent rival, but the other 2 (Tulsa & Tulane) won’t? That’s stupid.
When a conference Member has no Geographical Travel Rival / Partner; you don’t force them to go against Sense. These 2 Teams play everybody in the 4 Years but can naturally keep developing their most intense conference Games & since they’re an established conference Brand, this gives them the opportunity to build themselves into a conference Leader. Next Year is the Opportunity for Teams to start becoming what Cincinnati, UCF & UHouston have been & are now.
I get what you’re saying, but it also doesn’t make sense to pair up all but 2 of the teams. I am surprised they didn’t go with a 3-5-5 model.
I can’t help but think that SMU, Memphis, and ECU are going to want to get out of this conference.
Unfortunately there’s probably nowhere to go, I don’t see the Big 12 or ACC adding any of them.
The Big 12 could very well expand further once OU and Texas depart. There is probably language in the TV contracts that allow for renegotiation in the wake of further expansion.
I can’t help but think that those schools and South Florida are going to dominate this conference lineup.
SMU has been a rumored PAC-12 as well as Big 12 target. I also think Memphis and USF are rumored future Big 12 targets. I could see Temple being a future ACC school if they decide to expand by more than 2. Same for Tulane in the ACC or Big 12. I don’t think East Carolina has any hope of going anywhere as they are not an attractive candidate competitivewise or locationwise.
ECU is good at baseball and alright at football, that’s why I brought them up.
2025 and 2026 may be rendered moot by another Big 12 raid, which I would like to take from the American Memphis, SMU, South Florida, Temple, and Tulane.
Just go ahead and consider every future schedule or format as tentative or even moot, because that’s where we’re at right now.