AAC expansion news: What colleges are moving to the American? Charlotte, FAU, and more in fray as latest conference realignments transform college athletics

Finally, the much-anticipated American Athletic Conference (AAC) expansion is happening. In June 2022, the AAC announced in June 2022 that six new members would be joining its ranks. The new members are scheduled to officially join the conference on July 1, 2023. The new members are Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA. This will bring the total number of members in the conference to 14.

Closer look at the imminent AAC expansion

The AAC expansion is in direct response to the series of realignments that have been going on in college athletics for some years now. Several conferences have been making moves to bring on new members to boost their overall position in relation to other conferences. In order not to be left out, the AAC had to begin its own expansion to remain competitive with its contemporaries in the Power 6.

Remember, the AAC was established during the 2013 reorganization as a successor to the old Big East Conference. The conference is not new to realignments. After it was originally born out of an actual reorganization of the old Big East, it has experienced movements, in and out, of members.

Louisville and Rutgers departed the conference just one year after its formation. The addition of Wichita State in 2017 did not fully make up for this as it was a non-football program. Again in 2020, UConn left the conference to join up with the Big East. The latest in the series of departures from the conference will take effect on July 1, 2023, as Cincinnati, Houston and Central Florida make their way out.

However, with the arrival of the six new members, the AAC expansion is projected to strengthen the conference in a number of ways. For instance, UAB and Charlotte bring some needed weight to the conference in the media market. In addition, the strong academic standing of the new members will serve to maintain the AAC’s reputation as a top academic conference.

Furthermore, the expansion will significantly affect college athletics in the South. It brings the conference a greater presence in Texas, which is renowned for its abundance of talented prospects. With the Texan market on lock, the AAC can boldly bid for more lucrative media deals.

The realignment of conferences continues, and the AAC may still be hit as the news of SMU's expected departure to the Pac-12 gains more traction. It remains to be seen which school will be headed where in the coming months.