The American Athletic Conference (AAC) is targeting Air Force as an addition in what appears to be the latest round of NCAA Division I conference shakeups happening out west, ESPN’s Pete Thamel is reporting.
The AAC released a statement Monday night saying the league “is a pioneering brand, firmly grounded in grit and hard work, with powerful and prestigious member institutions. In the past five months, we have prioritized seizing every opportunity that enhances value for our member institutions and student-athletes.”
“Whether through private capital, naming rights, innovative partnerships, or realignment, we have proactively assessed each opportunity, and are prepared to collaboratively take action-steps, to be at the forefront of success and sustainability,” the statement read.
The news comes in the wake of the Pac-12’s big shakeup last week, announcing the addition of Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Boise State to the conference. That move came after the Pac-12, historically a part of the “Power 5” collegiate conferences, lost most of its members to the the Big 12, Big Ten, and ACC. That move left only Washington State and Oregon State in the “Pac-2.” Four schools in the new-look Pac-12 sponsor women’s swimming & diving programs: Washington State, Colorado State, San Diego State, and Fresno State.
Boise State cut their program in 2020 and Oregon State cut theirs in 2019.
More moves are expected with the Pac-12 facing a deadline to reach eight schools. The Pac-12 has a July 1, 2026 deadline to get to eight schools, but with most conferences requiring a year of notice to depart, that realistically means that the Pac-12 has until July 1, 2025 to figure out at least two more targets for expansion, with many observers expecting their goal to be nine schools.
Air Force ranked 4th in football attendance in the Mountain West last season. The other four schools in the top five were the schools that the Pac-12 already added.
The Pac-12 is expected to go after Air Force as well, and in both cases, targeting multiple military academies would be a viable strategy, as ‘service games’ generally draw good ratings.
The AAC already has 14 football schools, including Army and Navy, so Air Force is a natural fit.
Conference expansion, last season dominated by the big conferences gobbling up teams, will likely have a waterfall effect that either eliminates one of the mid-major conferences or draws in more schools from the FCS (1-AA) division of college football.
Air Force sponsors both men’s and women’s swimming & diving programs. The women compete in the Mountain West, while the men compete in the overlapping WAC, because the Mountain West doesn’t sponsor a men’s swimming & diving championship.
The Air Force women finished 7th out of 9 teams at last year’s MWC Championship, while the Air Force men finished 5th out of 6 teams at last year’s WAC Championship.
