American Athletic Conference facts for kids
The American Athletic Conference (also called "The American" or "AAC") is a major college sports group in the United States. Its member schools compete in NCAA Division I. For football, they play in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). This is the highest level of college football in Division I.
The American Athletic Conference has a history linked to the original Big East Conference. The Big East started in 1979. It was mainly a basketball league for schools in the Eastern U.S. Football was added to the Big East in 1991. This caused disagreements between schools that played top-level football and those that did not.
In July 2013, the Big East split into two groups. Seven schools that did not play FBS football left. They formed a new Big East Conference. The FBS football schools that stayed in the old conference structure formed the American Athletic Conference. They also added some new members.
The American kept the original Big East's official documents. This means it is the legal follower of the old Big East. Both The American and the new Big East say they started in 1979. They both also claim the history of the old Big East. However, they agreed that the current Big East would keep the sports history for most sports. The only exceptions are football and women's rowing. These are the only two sports The American has that the current Big East does not. For these two sports, neither conference claims the history of the original Big East.
The American has 12 full members. These schools have most of their sports in the league. Only the newest member, Wichita State, does not have a football team.
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Members of The American
The American Athletic Conference has several member schools. These schools compete in many different sports within the conference.
| School | Location | Founded | Type (affiliation) |
Nickname | Joined The American |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, Ohio | 1819 | Public | Bearcats | 2005 |
| University of Connecticut | Storrs, Connecticut | 1881 | Public | Huskies | 1979 |
| East Carolina University | Greenville, North Carolina | 1907 | Public | Pirates | 2014 |
| University of Houston | Houston, Texas | 1927 | Public | Cougars | 2013 |
| University of Memphis | Memphis, Tennessee | 1912 | Public | Tigers | 2013 |
| Southern Methodist University (SMU) | University Park, Texas | 1911 | Private (Methodist) | Mustangs | 2013 |
| University of South Florida | Tampa, Florida | 1956 | Public | Bulls | 2005 |
| Temple University | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1884 | State-related | Owls | 1991, 2012 (football) 2013 (all sports) |
| Tulane University | New Orleans, Louisiana | 1834 | Private (nonsectarian) | Green Wave | 2014 |
| University of Tulsa | Tulsa, Oklahoma | 1894 | Private (Presbyterian) | Golden Hurricane | 2014 |
| University of Central Florida (UCF) | Orlando, Florida | 1963 | Public | Knights | 2013 |
| Wichita State University | Wichita, Kansas | 1895 | Public | Shockers | 2017 |
Associate Members
Some schools are "associate members." This means they play only one sport in The American conference. This list is for the 2018–19 school year.
| School | Location | Founded | Type (affiliation) |
Joined | Sport | Current main conference | Nickname |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Florida | Gainesville, Florida | 1853 | Public | 2018 | Women's lacrosse | Southeastern Conference | Gators |
| United States Naval Academy (Navy) | Annapolis, Maryland | 1845 | Federal | 2015 | Football | Patriot League | Midshipmen |
| Old Dominion University | Norfolk, Virginia | 1930 | Public | 2018 | Women's rowing | Conference USA | Monarchs |
| California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State) | Sacramento, California | 1947 | Public | 2014 | Women's rowing | Big Sky Conference | Hornets |
| San Diego State University | San Diego, California | 1897 | Public | 2014 | Women's rowing | Mountain West Conference | Aztecs |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Tennessee | 1873 | Private | 2018 | Women's lacrosse | Southeastern Conference | Commodores |
Former Members
Two schools left The American after being members for only the 2013–14 school year. Both of these schools were part of the original Big East before 2013.
| School | Location | Founded | Type (affiliation) |
Nickname | Joined | Left | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Louisville | Louisville, Kentucky | 1798 | Public | Cardinals | 2005 | 2014 | ACC |
| Rutgers University | New Brunswick, New Jersey | 1766 | Public | Scarlet Knights | 1991 (football) 1995 (all sports) |
2014 | Big Ten |
Former Associate Members
One other school was an associate member in a single sport. This was from the Big East/American split in 2013 until 2015.
| School | Location | Founded | Type (affiliation) |
Nickname | Joined | Left | Sport | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villanova University | Radnor Township, Pennsylvania | 1842 | Private (Catholic) | Wildcats | 2013 | 2015 | Women's rowing | Big East Conference (CAA in rowing) |
Sports in The American
The American Athletic Conference holds championships in many different sports. Here are the sports they offer:
- Baseball (men only)
- Basketball (for both men and women)
- Cross country (for both men and women)
- Football (men only)
- Golf (for both men and women)
- Lacrosse (women only)
- Rowing (women only)
- Soccer (for both men and women)
- Softball (women only)
- Swimming and diving (for both men and women)
- Tennis (for both men and women)
- Track and field, indoor (for both men and women)
- Track and field, outdoor (for both men and women)
- Volleyball (women only)
See also
In Spanish: American Athletic Conference para niños
