Four schools will remain in the American Athletic Conference (AAC), it was officially announced on Monday.
Memphis, Tulane, USF, and UTSA each had discussions with the Pac-12 Conference over the last couple of weeks, but have opted not to join the latest round of conference realignment.
The American Athletic Conference issued a statement confirming the news on Monday and posted it to its official X (formerly Twitter) account:
We are the American Athletic Conference.
A conference that prioritizes student-athlete welfare, has proud academic institutions, produces fierce competition at the highest level, and has outstanding linear and direct-to-consumer national media partners. Together, we are committed t0 continuing to build the American brand, exploring new opportunities for exposure and value, and developing innovative economic resources-—all in service
of our student-athletes.While we acknowledge receiving interest in our institutions From other conferences, we firmly believe that li is in our individual and collective best interests to uphold our commitment to each other. Together, we will continue to modernize the conference, elevate the student-athlete experience, achieve championship-winning successes, and build the future.
According to a report from Yahoo Sports, AAC commissioner Tim Pernetti is working on details to strengthen the conference through financial and other measures.
After days of deliberations with the Pac-12, the schools — as a group — decided to remain in their current conference, where AAC commissioner Tim Pernetti is exploring avenues for revenue enhancement, including private-equity involvement, new distribution models and further expansion of the league footprint.
The four AAC programs received on Monday proposed terms from the Pac-12 that included projected annual revenue numbers ($10-15M), a five-year grant of rights and only partial coverage of an AAC exit fee that is believed to be around $25 million per school. None of this was unexpected as Yahoo Sports reported on Friday.
As for the Pac-12 Conference, it will have to look elsewhere to expand its membership from six to the NCAA minimum of eight by 2026. Earlier this month, the Pac-12 announced the addition of Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State, who will join Oregon State and Washington State on the roster.
Other Mountain West schools — including Air Force, UNLV, and Utah State — have been contacted by the Pac-12 for possible membership.
A group of potential expansion members has already seen the league’s expansion presentation, including UNLV, Air Force and Utah State. Engagement has increased with those schools in the last two days.
Meanwhile, in the Mountain West, the league and commissioner Gloria Nevarez continue an attempt to secure their membership with a long-term commitment to the league that features financial incentives for UNLV and Air Force. The league set a Monday deadline for schools to agree to the new grant of rights.