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Miami RedHawks football player next to AAC logo
Smaller college conferences need all the help they can get these days when it comes to talent and money. However, the American Conference has reportedly rejected opportunities to improve on both of those fronts while resisting offers to expand.
What was formerly known as the American Athletic Conference entered a new era in 2025 when it dropped that second word from its name, a move that came as it continued to grapple with the fallout of the reshuffling that resulted in the loss of notable members including SMU, Houston, and Cincinnati.
As things currently stand, the American Conference boasts 15 official members (Army’s and Navy’s ties are exclusive to football, which is the only major team Wichita State doesn’t field) as well as seven affiliates that compete in various sports.
It apparently had the opportunity to add some more members this year, but it reportedly turned down tens of millions of dollars from one school while turning away another that’s recently emerged as a force to be reckoned with on the gridiron.
The American Conference turned down upwards of $40 million from Miami Ohio while also rejecting expansion offers from JMU and UConn
The American Conference is currently a pretty lucrative destination for smaller programs due to the money they stand to make from the 12-year media rights deal that went into effect in 2020, one that was reportedly worth $1 billion.
According to On3, three schools have been pushing to get a piece of the pie by lobbying to join a conference that has reportedly rejected their overtures while deciding to stick to the current status quo.
The most notable bid came from Miami Ohio, as the RedHawks reportedly offered between $30 million and $40 million to defect from the MAC only to be shut down. It’s unclear what James Madison brought to the table, but the conference also declined a bid from a Sun Belt school that clinched a spot in the College Football Playoff last season.
There’s also UConn, which was a founding member in 2013 but severed ties in 2020. The Huskies are seemingly looking to bring their Independent Era to an end when you consider they lobbied to rejoin as a football affiliate (other sports would remain in the Big East), but that potential move was also shut down.
The UConn decision makes sense at first glance, but the American Conference must be pretty satisfied with the current state of affairs if it opted to rebuke the other two schools. It’s safe to assume it’s playing the long game, so I guess we’ll have to wait and see if it ends up working out.