AAC Targeting Army as SMU Departs for ACC, per Report

The Black Knights have spent all but seven of their 130 football seasons as an independent program.

With SMU off to the ACC, the American Athletic Conference is moving quickly to find its replacement.

The conference is exploring Army as a potential 14th football member, according to a Friday evening report from ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Per Thamel, AAC commissioner Mike Aresco has initiated “informally exploring Army as an expansion candidate.”

The Black Knights have spent their entire 130-year football history as an independent, with the exception of a seven-season stint in Conference USA from 1998 to ’04. There, Army never won more than three games in a season, and returned to independence in 2005.

Navy, the Black Knights' traditional rival, joined the AAC in 2015. The Midshipmen found immediate success there, setting a program record with 11 wins in their first season.

Sources: After a call with AAC presidents and ADs this morning, it was clear that Army is the league’s top expansion target. Commissioner Mike Aresco has begun informally exploring Army as an expansion candidate.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 1, 2023

Per Thamel, the annual Army-Navy game would potentially be played as a non-conference game in order to preserve its traditional designation as the FBS’s final regular season game.

The Black Knights open their 2023 season Saturday evening at Louisiana-Monroe.