AAC Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron this week.
| Team | Record | This Week | Result | Up Next |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army | 10-1 (8-0) | vs UTSA | W, 29-24 | vs Tulane |
| Charlotte | 5-7 (4-4) | vs UAB | W, 29-27 | — |
| ECU | 7-5 (5-3) | vs Navy | L, 34-20 | — Bowl — |
| FAU | 3-9 (1-7) | at Tulsa | W, 63-16 | — |
| Memphis | 10-2 (6-2) | at Tulane | W, 34-24 | — Bowl — |
| Navy | 8-3 (6-2) | at ECU | W, 34-20 | — Bowl — |
| North Texas | 6-6 (3-5) | at Temple | W, 24-17 | — Bowl — |
| Rice | 4-8 (3-5) | vs USF | W, 29-24 | — |
| Temple | 3-9 (2-6) | vs North Texas | L, 24-17 | — |
| Tulane | 9-3 (7-1) | vs Memphis | L, 34-20 | at Army |
| Tulsa | 3-9 (1-7) | vs FAU | L, 63-16 | — |
| UAB | 3-4 (2-6) | at Charlotte | L, 29-27 | — |
| USF | 6-6 (4-4) | at Rice | L, 35-28 | — Bowl — |
| UTSA | 6-6 (4-4) | at Army | L, 29-24 | — Bowl — |
Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)
Tulane’s CFB Playoff hopes dashed
The lone college football game on Thanksgiving Day featured a tough result for the AAC. Memphis’ victory over Tulane effectively ended any dark horse hopes of the Green Wave earning the G5 automatic berth in the College Football Playoff. A 10-win season for the Tigers is significant, but no conference title game appearance will still leave a sizable portion of the fanbase understandably frustrated.
Abell arrives at South Main while Harrell stays put in Greenville
In the past week, the American Conference has welcomed two new head coaches. ECU made the decision to promote interim head coach Blake Harrell after a 4-0 run start in place of Mike Houston. At Rice, the Owls opted for Davidson’s Scott Abell whose proven track record at hard jobs gives reason for hope in Houston.
North Texas is bowling
After missing a bowl game with a 5-7 finish in Year 1 under Eric Morris the Mean Green are bowl eligible this time around, narrowly beating Temple in their regular season finale. The victory snaps a five game losing streak after a 5-1 start to the season.
Looking ahead – Key storylines
Army chases AAC Perfection vs Tulane
The Black Knights became the eighth team in AAC history to finish undefeated in conference play, a feat most recently achieved by Tulane and SMU in 2023. As a reward they’ll host the conference championship game set to be played next Friday night, December 6 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Who’s next?
With Rice and East Carolina filled, four open head coaching jobs remain among American Conference programs following the conclusion of the regular season. Charlotte, FAU, Temple and Tulsa have yet to name new head coaches. Expect those jobs to fill soon, particularly with the Early Signing Period beginning this week.
Army/Navy on deck
But wait, there’s more! Even though this will technically be a non-conference game, the first meeting between Army and Navy as American Conference teams will feature two of the conference’s top teams this season. It doesn’t look like this game will have any College Football Playoff ramifications after all, but the intensity and interest in this contest hasn’t waivered all year.
