#UAB CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT FREE#
We’ve worked hard to make great progress that put us in this position, and we don’t intend to slow down. This is another great day for UAB Athletics and Blazer Nation, and it is still just the beginning.” – Mark Ingram, Director of UAB Athleticsįor more news about Birmingham, sign up for our FREE newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Left Behind in Conference Realignment >UMass Will Likely Be Left Behind in. “We have made the most of every opportunity in recent years to propel UAB Athletics to new heights, and joining the AAC is an incredible opportunity to build on all we have accomplished in a big way. These improvements have paid off-UAB has won two C-USA football conference championships, one C-USA men’s basketball championship and one C-USA women’s basketball championship since 2017. UAB has also funded renovations to over 25 athletic complexes over the past seven years, including Protective Stadium and a $22.5 million football practice facility. In the midst of the college football conference realignment era. This is just one of many exciting changes UAB is undergoing currently. The American Athletic Conference is adding UAB, Texas-San Antonio, Rice, North Texas. A request for comment from Conference USA. With only eight remaining members, Conference USA needs to both protect its assets and add on. You can’t worry about it,” he said.UAB Athletics reaches new heights UAB Athletics has had a banner year, with the addition of several new buildings. C-USA and the Sun Belt are next up in realignment. “It’s always a possibility, but we didn’t dwell on that. While acknowledging the potential of losing more members to future expansion exists, Aresco said it did not factor into the AAC's expansion process. Houston, Cincinnati and UCF are due to depart the AAC following the 2022-23 athletic year.ĬBS Sports' Dennis Dodd reported in September that the Big 12 is considering further expansion once Texas and Oklahoma officially join the SEC and that Memphis and Boise State are among the schools high on the Big 12's list. The AAC's move to expand comes on the heels of the conference losing three of its more prominent programs (Houston, Cincinnati and UCF) to the Big 12, which also added independent BYU last month in the same round of expansion. “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," Fitts said in a press release. Tulane president Michael Fitts, who also serves as chair of the AAC's Board of Directors, said he's excited about the future of the league. "It’s not going away, and I want that to be really clear." “Our Power 6 campaign is going to be energized," Aresco said. However, he added that the AAC is looking to add.
In a prepared statement, Aresco called the moves part of "a strategic expansion" that accomplishes many things including adding established institutions "in major cities," enhancing "geographical concentration," and providing "valuable inventory" for its media rights partner (ESPN). Of those schools, the ones that have been discussed most prominently have been Boise State and UAB, per Dodd. MEMPHIS BASKETBALL: How conference realignment might affect Memphis basketball GIANNOTTO: Memphis believes conference realignment isn't over.
Why not think about taking them now?’ĬONFERENCE REALIGNMENT: Memphis administration assures fans it will remain 'aggressive' We also looked around and said, ‘You know, there are some schools we might be interested in later on. “But what we’re doing here is building for the long-term future. We decided there was strength in numbers. “Nine years ago (when the AAC formed), a lot of people doubted us,” AAC commissioner Mike Aresco said. When the AAC's new schools will begin play in their new league has not yet been determined. The AAC will compete as a 14-team league in football and men’s and women’s basketball, among other sports. Six schools from Conference USA UAB, UTSA, Rice, North Texas, Charlotte and Florida Atlantic have applied for membership with the AAC and are expected to be accepted by the end of the week, according to two people with knowledge of the process who spoke with The Associated Press, Wednesday, Oct.
All six schools are leaving Conference USA and will join the nine continuing members – East Carolina, Memphis, Navy (football only), South Florida, SMU, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa and Wichita State (basketball and Olympic sports only) – to bring the AAC's membership to 15 schools. UTSA, North Texas, Rice, Charlotte, FAU and UAB have each been approved for membership by the AAC. The American Athletic Conference has officially expanded to 14 teams, the league announced Thursday morning.
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