American Conference Commissioner Speaks on Tulane Amongst Pac-12 Rumors

American Athletic Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti talks about conference expansion and how important Tulane is to the foundation of the AAC.

Sep 14, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Tulane Green Wave quarterback Darian Mensah (10) throws during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

At halftime of Tulane’s recent matchup against Oklahoma, American Athletic Conference commissioner Tim Pernetti addressed the recent news surrounding the Pac-12 conference’s expansion. It is no secret that many American Conference schools would be highly coveted by the Pac-12, including Tulane, Memphis, UTSA, and South Florida. Still, Pernetti continued to emphasize the importance of focusing on the AAC while speaking with Tulane Sports Network from LEARFIELD.

“A time like this where everybody’s wondering about other places and what else is out there, we have a group that’s very focused on building our future together," said Tim Pernetti.

While the landscape of college football continues to change, it is clear that conference realignment is not going away any time soon. One of the biggest criticisms of conference realignment is that recent changes do not make sense geographically. In the past, conferences were linked to a specific region of the country so that student-athletes did not have to spend as much time traveling. Today, conferences stretch further geographically, forcing student-athletes to travel longer distances.

“It continues to be a bulb that will never go out. Conference expansion is part of what collegiate athletics has been. As you look at it, some of it has made sense and some of it borderlines on absurd, quite frankly," said the Pac-12 commissioner.

Commissioner Pernetti also talked about his vision for the future of the American Athletic Conference and how the conference needs to be a leader in college athletics. Pernetti says he “want(s) this league to be known as the most innovative conference in college sports.” 

Commissioner Pernetti also mentioned Tulane’s value in the future of the AAC, saying “Tulane is a key component in the foundation of this league because of all the assets that it has.”

Whether Tulane will choose to remain in the American Athletic Conference or join the trend of switching to another conference is yet to be determined. Whatever Tulane decides, it is clear that they are now considered a valuable institution in the world of college athletics.