The American Athletic Conference currently has no defending football champion, as 2023 title winner SMU has departed for the ACC.
However, three other strong teams from last season—Memphis, Tulane, and UTSA—return as contenders. Additionally, South Florida emerges as a potential dark horse after finishing strongly last season, particularly with their impressive win over Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl.
For the past two years, the AAC title game has been hosted by Tulane. However, following last season’s defeat to SMU, former Green Wave coach Willie Fritz took a position at Houston in the Big 12, and all-time passing leader Michael Pratt has moved on to the professional ranks.
While Tulane undergoes a transition, Memphis remains stable.
Many key players return from last year’s 10-win Tigers team, which concluded one of the best seasons in the program’s history with a bowl victory over Iowa State. This success was fulfilling for coach Ryan Silverfield as he begins his fifth season at the helm, having first joined Memphis as an assistant in 2016.
“Players are coming back to contribute to our progress,” Silverfield noted, mentioning senior QB Seth Henigan; fourth-year junior linebacker Chandler Martin; and senior receivers Taylor and Koby Drake.
The Tigers are gaining from corporate backing in the Memphis region, enhancing their NIL resources and aiding in the renovation of the historic Liberty Bowl stadium.
“All these developments this offseason definitely bring a smile to your face,” Silverfield stated, adding that Memphis hasn’t secured an AAC title since 2019, the year before he took on the role. “Personally, as a head coach, I haven’t achieved the goals I want in this conference.”
Onward and upward
After clinching Conference USA titles in 2021 and 2022, UTSA joined the AAC in 2023 and was in the mix for the championship until losing their regular season finale against Tulane.
The Roadrunners bounced back by defeating Marshall in a bowl game — marking the last appearance for standout QB Frank Harris, who threw for nearly 12,000 yards and rushed for over 2,000 throughout his six seasons at UTSA. A key focus during August camp is the rivalry between Owen McCown and Eddie Lee Marburger to take over Harris’s position.
“No one can ever truly replace Frank Harris,” Coach Jeff Traylor noted. “We just need to find a way to move forward without him.”
Though the UTSA program is only 13 years old, it has seen significant success during Traylor’s four-year tenure, boasting a 23-3 home record.
“The growth of UTSA is an incredible story,” Traylor commented. “I believe our ascent will continue.”
Wave of Optimism
Although Fritz, Tulane’s most successful coach, has departed, new coach Jon Sumrall aims to maintain the momentum for the Green Wave.
Coming from Troy, where he transformed the team into Sun Belt Conference champions in 2022 and 2023, Sumrall has described his transition to Tulane as seamless.
His previous experience as an assistant at Tulane early in his coaching career has given him insight into both the university and New Orleans, which he considers “one of the coolest cities in the world.”
The Green Wave’s roster is filled with accomplished players, but there’s uncertainty about who will step up as the starting quarterback. Kai Horton, who served as Pratt’s backup the last two seasons, is a top contender, alongside Oregon transfer Ty Thompson.
“I believe both of them can help us win games, and I’m glad to have both on our team,” Sumrall stated.
The quarterback who secures the role will have the advantage of working with a talented receiving corps, highlighted by one of Sumrall’s early recruiting victories: USC transfer Mario Williams.
Protected Rivalry
This season, Army joins the AAC as a football-only member, maintaining a total of 14 teams in the conference.
Despite both teams now being in the same league, the annual Army-Navy game in December will remain unaffected. The two military academies won’t face each other during the regular season, and their traditional matchup will continue to take place in mid-December—after the conference championship game—and it won’t impact the league standings.
However, if they both finish as the top teams in the conference at the end of the regular season, they will meet for the league title, followed by their classic rivalry game on consecutive weekends.
Watch List Players
Numerous AAC players have made the 2024 preseason watch lists for national awards.
Among them are: Memphis’ Henigan (Walter Camp, Maxwell); South Florida QB Byrum Bown (Walter Camp, Maxwell); Tulane RB Makhi Hughes (Maxwell); Tulane DT Patrick Jenkins (Bednarik, Nagurski, Outland); Memphis’ Martin (Bednarik, Nagurski); UTSA DE Joe Evans (Nagurski); Navy LB Colin Ramos (Bednarik, Nagurski); East Carolina CB Shavon Revel (Bednarik, Nagurski, Thorpe); Charlotte DB Dontae Balfour (Thorpe); Navy DB Rayuan Lane (Thorpe); Rice DB Gabriel Taylor (Thorpe); North Texas G Gabe Blair (Outland); UTSA DT Brandon Brown (Outland); South Florida G Zane Herring (Outland); Memphis G Xavier Hill (Outland).
Call It a Date
Several games against power conference teams could impact whether this year’s AAC champion makes it into the new 12-team College Football Playoff. Key matchups include: South Florida at Alabama on September 7, Memphis at Florida State on September 14, Tulane at Oklahoma on September 14, UTSA at Texas on September 14, and Miami at South Florida on September 21.
The conference standings may also be affected by critical away games for Memphis: at UTSA on November 2 and at Tulane on Thanksgiving night.
The Forecast
The AAC’s official preseason poll results, indicating projected finishing positions, are as follows: Memphis, UTSA, Tulane, South Florida, Army, Florida Atlantic, East Carolina, Rice, North Texas, UAB, Navy, Tulsa, Charlotte, and Temple.
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