The AAC Staying Together is a Rare Win for Fans and Athletes

The conference is focused on preserving student-athlete well-being and providing a greater fan experience by bolstering the collective identity of the AAC brand

Oct 13, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Tulane Green Wave defensive back Kam Pedescleaux (8) waves to fans during the second half against the Memphis Tigers at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Yesterday, in the heat of NCAA conference realignment, four member institutions of the American Athletic Conference: Tulane, Memphis, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and the University of South Florida, reaffirmed their commitment to staying in the AAC via a joint statement from the conference office. 

The press release emphasized a commitment to student-athlete welfare, preservation of a geographical conference footprint, and expanding efforts to build the AAC brand and revenue streams –– a refreshing departure from the common strategy of jumping ship that many programs have taken over the past decade. A strategy that has often frustrated fans by eliminating the continuity of longstanding rivalry games and increased mental health challenges athletes face when competing in non-geographically based conferences. 

The AAC press release came in the wake of reports that leadership from the west-coast-based PAC-12 conference had met and extended membership offers to the listed big-brand AAC schools in hopes of reviving the PAC-12, which was depleted by prior conference realignment last year. Over the past three years, college athletics has undergone seismic shifts, NIL contracts serving as de facto salaries for revenue athletes, conference realignment removing historic rivalries, and the transfer portal’s creation of a proxy-free agency system. 

For fans and athletes alike, college sports has become more of a business than ever before. New reforms to college sports have placed new stresses, roster uncertainty, and financial windfalls on athletes and removed the mystique of amateurism that appealed to many college sports fans. The opening words of yesterday’s AAC press release rebuked the common money-first sentiment that college sports stakeholders have pushed as of late:

“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 to 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."

I have emphasized phrases in the statement that should make anyone attached to the American Athletic Conference proud. The AAC was deliberate and thoughtful in its choice of words. The first thing said was a mention of student-athlete welfare — mental health tolls on athletes are a thoroughly recognized but often unspoken side-effect of conference realignment. 

In late 2023, when the move to the Big Ten from then-PAC-12 institution UCLA was finalized, the school announced that it would deploy hundreds of thousands of dollars to bolster mental health resources for its student-athletes to combat the transfer of conference. While throwing money and resources at the problem is likely to help UCLA athletes, the express need to do so is a per se indictment of administrators choosing monetary gain over what is best for those on the field. 

UCLA Men’s Basketball head coach Mick Cronin has been outspoken about the impacts of conference realignment on athletes. In a 2023 interview with the Los Angeles Times, he proclaimed that (link ), “None of it is in the best interest of the student-athlete, no matter what anybody says… It’s in the best interest of more money to cover the bills. That’s it.”

Other coaches like Mizzouri’s Eli Drinkwitz have similarly been critical of realignment and pay special attention to non-revenue athletes who often have the most demanding travel schedules and the least institutional resources: "We're talking about a football decision they based on football, but what about softball and baseball who have to travel across country? Do we ask about the cost of them?... Do we know what the number one indicator of symptom or cause of mental health is? It's lack of rest or sleep."

It’s all just really sad!! So much tradition and rivalries all gone. How are fans and players families in ALL of the sports going to get to these games?? This is good for these student athletes and their mental health?? Anyone ask them?? I hear you Drink https://t.co/VOJN9i98cv

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) August 7, 2023

Thanks to the leadership within the AAC, a junior on the soccer team at the University of South Florida pursuing an engineering degree will not have to spend weeks on the road at a time, missing classes, labs, and other academic commitments. Nor will these athletes have to play games outside their regional footprint, which would have made it increasingly challenging for their families and other loved ones to watch them play away games. These athletes choose their schools based on many factors sold to them by coaches and administrators –– significant changes to travel is not what many were promised.

Beyond outward displays of care for student-athletes, the AAC remains steadfast in its commitment to growing the conference’s brand and identity within its geographic footprint: this is important for fans who value the permanence of in-conference rivalries that conference realignment has systematically disemboweled. Fans have lost historic rivalries like Bedlam (Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State), Oregon vs. Oregon State, Stanford vs. USC, and TCU vs. SMU in recent changes to conference composition. 

Historic rivalries, a defined geographic footprint, and a lasting legacy make college sports conferences an emotional experience for fans. Removing these elements detracts from the overall product any conference presents. While the AAC has historically had a lot of movement through its ranks, the decision of Tulane, Memphis, UTSA, and USF to remain loyal helps the AAC provide a solid and enduring identity to its supporters. 

I am not naive. I have existed within and around the college sports ecosystem for long enough to know that if the PAC-12 had a more sure-fire media rights deal with a larger estimated valuation or if the AAC’s exit fee wasn’t $27,500,000, these schools would likely have fled. 

Unfortunately, student-athlete wellness and fan desires will never be the drivers of institutional decision-making. Without the backing of a union that pro-athletes often utilize, student-athletes will remain without any leverage to prevent unilateral changes to their working conditions –– like conference realignment. Their voices and concerns will never reach the decision table. 

Fans will continue to support their teams no matter who they play or what conference patch is stitched onto a jersey. Athletic departments know this and will continue making decisions without worrying about alienating fans to the point of non-interest. 

The AAC has the chance to emerge as a unique spectacle within the money-obsessed world of collegiate athletics. Plenty of revenue-generating avenues can bolster the AAC's bottom line and allow them to remain atop the mountain of Group of Five conferences. The conference, in its current state, is already sustainable and has no issue producing contender-level programs in revenue sports. With the recent desecration of the Mountain West, the AAC has little competition to crown itself as the premier Group of Five conference. 

The messaging from the AAC is already evident. In a world of self-interested conferences, the AAC stands in collective action to preserve itself as a relic of the past — a conference committed to serving the interests of its fans and athletes. The AAC can endear itself to fans by leaning into an identity that opposes the hyper-commercialization of college sports, which has stripped fans of historical matchups and tradition. Now more than ever, the AAC is a conference of the people.