Six schools set to join American Athletic Conference

Florida Atlantic University, UNC Charlotte, the University of North Texas, the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), Rice University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have accepted invitations to join the American Athletic Conference (AAC). The league announced the news on Thursday morning.

According to an ESPN report, no date has been set yet for the six schools to join the AAC but the earliest they could join would be the 2023-2024 season.

"Once all the announced realignment shuffles out, the additions would give the American 14 teams in football and basketball. The six schools are all leaving Conference USA, leaving it with eight members," the report read.

The AAC is replacing the University of Cincinnati, the University of Central Florida (UCF) and the University of Houston, which all joined the Big 12 in September. 

Per the ESPN report, according to AAC bylaws, those schools' exit dates would be July 1, 2024, though commissioner Mike Aresco told ESPN in mid-September that the league "would be willing to negotiate an earlier exit fee to accommodate their departures."