American Athletic Conference (AAC) teams: Amid Big 12 and SEC expansion rumors, which teams have joined the American in the last two seasons?

The American Atlantic Conference (AAC) has gone through an expansion process in the last two years. This is pretty much due to the exit of some of its top programs for the Big 12. Cincinnati, Houston and UCF have ended their time as members of the conference.

The expansion will see six new members realign with the conference. Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA have all officially become members of the AAC. It's worth noting that the six schools are all joining from Conference USA.

AAC Board of Directors chairman and Tulane president announced the acceptance of the six new members in October 2021 after their application was approved by the nine existing members.

"On behalf of the American Athletic Conference presidents, I look forward to years of healthy competition with our six new members. I am confident that we have not only added fine institutions that share our collective ambition for national success, but we have done so in a deliberate and sensible way that will contribute to the long-term future of the conference."

This addition brings the overall member of the conference to a total of 15, with 14 participating in football. The six new teams are definitely a great addition to the AAC. Three of them (UAB, Florida Atlantic and UTSA) have won the last five CUSA football championships.

What teams are in the AAC for the 2023 season?

On the final day of June, three top universities in the AAC, namely Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF, departed from the conference and opted to join the Big 12. Undoubtedly, this development poses a considerable setback for the Power Five conference.

The revamped conference will feature the following teams: East Carolina, Memphis, Navy (football only), South Florida, SMU, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, Wichita State (basketball and Olympic Sports only), Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA.

The addition of North Texas, Rice, and UTSA to the conference strengthens its presence in Texas, as it now boasts four institutions in the Lone Star State, along with SMU. This expansion evidently provides the league with a strong foothold in Texas.

Furthermore, this strategic move also emphasizes the conference's commitment to expanding into major markets such as Charlotte, San Antonio, Birmingham, and Houston. The conference's expansion targeted key metropolitan areas for increased visibility and reach.

Despite losing its three top institutions, the expansion into other large markets in the United States could help mitigate the impact it could bring. This will be in addition to Dallas, Memphis, Tulsa, Tampa, and New Orleans, where the conference is already well established.