2021 American Athletic Conference football season
Sports season
The 2021 American Athletic Conference football season was the 30th NCAA Division I FBS Football season of the American Athletic Conference (The American). The season was the ninth since the former Big East Conference dissolved and became the American Athletic Conference and the eighth season of the College Football Playoff in place. The American was considered a member of the Group of Five (G5) together with Conference USA (C–USA), the Mid-American Conference (MAC), the Mountain West Conference and the Sun Belt Conference .
Previous season
Cincinnati secured their second consecutive championship game appearance and faced Tulsa in the 2020 AAC Championship game .[ 1]
Six teams participated in bowl games during the 2020 season; the league went 1–5.
Tulane lost to Nevada 38-27 in the 2020 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl .[ 2] BYU in the Boca Raton Bowl 49-23.[ 3] Florida Atlantic 25–10 in the Montgomery Bowl .[ 4] Hawaii 28-14 in the 2020 New Mexico Bowl .[ 5] Mississippi State 28-26 in the 2020 Armed Forces Bowl in a game that ended with a benches clearing brawl.[ 6]
In the New Year's Six Game, No. 8 Cincinnati lost in an instant classic to No. 9 Georgia 24–21 in the Peach Bowl .[ 7]
Preseason
Recruiting classes
Rankings
Team
ESPN[ 8]
Rivals[ 9]
24/7[ 10]
Cincinnati
39
45
East Carolina
100
97
Houston
85
84
Memphis
48
47
Navy
68
104
SMU
61
51
South Florida
56
64
Temple
117
Tulane
85
81
Tulsa
127
UCF
54
58
The 2021 American Media day was held virtually August 3 and 4, 2021[ 11]
•2021 The American Virtual Football Media Days
The American Athletic Conference preseason media poll was released at the virtual media day held August 4, 2021.[ 12] Cincinnati , who finished the 2020 season ranked No. 8 nationally, was tabbed as the preseason favorite in the 2021 preseason media poll.
Media poll
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
Cincinnati
262 (22)
2
UCF
241 (2)
3
SMU
188
4
Houston
181
5
Memphis
168
6
Tulsa
153
7
Tulane
132
т-8
East Carolina
85
т-8
Navy
85
10
Temple
46
11
South Florida
43
Preseason awards
Head coaches
Coaching changes
On January 27, 2021 Josh Heupel departed UCF to Tennessee . Gus Malzahn was hired to serve as the new head coach on February 15, 2021.[ 33]
Coaches
Note: All stats current through the completion of the 2021 regular season
Team
Head coach
Years at school
Overall record
Record at school
AAC record
Cincinnati
Luke Fickell
5
53–21 (.716)
47–14 (.770)
29–9 (.763)
East Carolina
Mike Houston
3
94–44 (.681)
14–19 (.424)
4–12 (.250)
Houston
Dana Holgorsen
3
68–54 (.557)
7–13 (.350)
5–9 (.357)
Memphis
Ryan Silverfield
2
8–4 (.667)
8–4 (.667)
5–3 (.625)
Navy
Ken Niumatalolo
14
101–67 (.601)
101–67 (.601)
30–17 (.638)
SMU
Sonny Dykes
4
63–59 (.516)
22–14 (.611)
14–9 (.609)
South Florida
Jeff Scott
2
1–8 (.111)
1–8 (.111)
0–7 (.000)
Temple
Rod Carey
3
61–41 (.598)
9–11 (.450)
6–9 (.400)
Tulane
Willie Fritz
6
185–112 (.623)
31–43 (.419)
16–32 (.333)
Tulsa
Philip Montgomery
7
37–46 (.446)
37–46 (.446)
24–29 (.453)
UCF
Gus Malzahn
1
85–42 (.669)
8–4 (.667)
5–3 (.625)
Source:[ 34]
Rankings
Legend
Improvement in ranking
Drop in ranking
Not ranked previous week
RV
Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll
Pre
Wk
Wk
Wk
Wk
Wk
Wk
Wk
Wk
Wk
Wk
Wk
Wk
Wk
Final
Cincinnati
AP
7
8
8
7
5
3
2
2
2
2
3
4
3
4
4
C
10
8
9
8
6
4
3
2
2
3
3
4
4
4
4
CFP
Not released
6
5
5
4
4
4
East Carolina
AP
C
CFP
Not released
Houston
AP
RV
RV
RV
20
17
17
19
16
21
17
C
RV
RV
RV
RV
19
17
17
16
16
21
17
CFP
Not released
24
24
21
20
Memphis
AP
RV
C
RV
RV
RV
CFP
Not released
Navy
AP
C
CFP
Not released
SMU
AP
RV
24
23
21
19
23
RV
RV
C
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
24
23
19
16
24
RV
RV
CFP
Not released
South Florida
AP
C
CFP
Not released
Temple
AP
C
CFP
Not released
Tulane
AP
C
RV
RV
RV
CFP
Not released
Tulsa
AP
C
RV
CFP
Not released
UCF
AP
RV
RV
RV
C
RV
RV
RV
RV
CFP
Not released
Schedule
The regular season will begin on September 2, 2021 and will end on November 27, 2021. The season will conclude with the 2021 American Athletic Conference Championship Game on December 4.
At Media Day American Commissioner Mike Aresco said games will not be rescheduled this year because of COVID & if teams can’t play, they will have to forfeit[ 35]
Regular season
Index to colors and formatting
American member won
American member lost
American teams in bold
Week One
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
7:00 p.m.
Boise State
UCF Bounce House • Orlando, FL
ESPN
W 36–31 43,928
7:30 p.m.
East Carolina Appalachian State
Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, NC (Duke's Mayo Classic )
ESPNU
L 19–33 36,752
7:30 p.m.
South Florida NC State
Carter–Finley Stadium • Raleigh, NC
ACC Network
L 0–45 52,633
7:30 p.m.
No. 23 (FCS ) UC Davis
Tulsa H.A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK
ESPN+
L 17–19 15,085
September 4
Noon
Temple Rutgers
SHI Stadium • Piscataway, NJ
BTN
L 14–61 52,519
September 4
Noon
No. 2 Oklahoma
Tulane Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK [ a] ABC
L 35–40 42,206
September 4
3:30 p.m.
Miami (OH)
No. 8 Cincinnati
Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH (Victory Bell )
ESPN+
W 49–14 37,978
September 4
3:30 p.m.
Marshall
Navy Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD
CBSSN
L 7–49 30,131
September 4
7:00 p.m.
Texas Tech
Houston NRG Stadium • Houston, TX (Texas Kickoff )
ESPN
L 21–38 43,478
September 4
7:00 p.m.
No. 22 (FCS ) Nicholls
Memphis Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN
ESPN+
W 42–17 30,263
September 4
7:00 p.m.
Abilene Christian
SMU Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX
ESPN+
W 56–9 23,373
# Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time .
Week Two
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
September 11
Noon
South Carolina
East Carolina
Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC
ESPN2
L 17–20 40,816
September 11
Noon
Tulsa
Oklahoma State
Boone Pickens Stadium • Stillwater, OK
FS1
L 23–28 52,127
September 11
1:00 p.m.
No. 13 Florida
South Florida
Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL
ABC
L 20–42 64,692
September 11
1:00 p.m.
Morgan State
Tulane
Legion Field • Birmingham, AL [ b] ESPN+
W 69–20 2,100
September 11
3:30 p.m.
Murray State
No. 7 Cincinnati
Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH
ESPN+
W 42–7 33,498
September 11
3:30 p.m.
Air Force
Navy
Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD (Commander-in-Chief's Trophy )
CBS
L 3–23 36,997
September 11
3:30 p.m.
Temple
Akron
InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH
ESPN+
W 45–24 14,474
September 11
6:30 p.m.
Bethune-Cookman
UCF
Bounce House • Orlando, FL
ESPN+
W 63–14 38,443
September 11
6:30 p.m.
Houston
Rice
Rice Stadium • Houston, TX (rivalry )
CBSSN
W 44–7 26,253
September 11
7:00 p.m.
Memphis
Arkansas State
Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR (Paint Bucket Bowl )
ESPN+
W 55–50 19,501
September 11
7:00 p.m.
North Texas
SMU
Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX (Safeway Bowl )
ESPN+
W 35–12 29,121
# Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time .
Week Three
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
7:30 p.m.
UCF
Louisville
Cardinal Stadium • Louisville, KY
ESPN
L 35–42 39,022
September 18
Noon
No. 8 Cincinnati
Indiana
Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN
ESPN
W 38–24 52,656
September 18
Noon
Boston College
Temple
Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA
ESPNU
L 3–28 25,290
September 18
3:30 p.m.
SMU
Louisiana Tech
Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA
CBSSN
W 39–37 15,326
September 18
3:30 p.m.
Tulsa
No. 9 Ohio State
Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH
FS1
L 20–41 76,540
September 18
4:00 p.m.
Mississippi State
Memphis
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN
ESPN2
W 31–29 43,461
September 18
6:00 p.m.
East Carolina
Marshall
Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV (rivalry )
CBSSN Facebook
W 42–38 24,833
September 18
7:00 p.m.
Grambling State
Houston
TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX
ESPN+
W 45–0 22,998
September 18
7:00 p.m.
Florida A&M
South Florida
Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL
ESPN+
W 38–17 29,475
September 18
8:00 p.m.
Tulane
No. 17 Ole Miss
Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS (rivalry )
ESPN2
L 21–61 54,198
# Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time .
Date
Bye Week
September 18
Navy
Week Four
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
September 25
Noon
SMU
TCU
Amon G. Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, TX (rivalry )
FS1
W 42–34 46,672
September 25
Noon
Wagner
Temple
Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA
ESPN+
W 41–7 20,179
September 25
3:30 p.m.
UTSA
Memphis
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN
ESPNU
L 28–31 29,264
September 25
5:00 p.m.
Arkansas State
Tulsa
H.A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK
ESPN+
W 41–34 14,881
September 25
6:00 p.m.
Charleston Southern
East Carolina
Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC
ESPN+
W 31–28 39,218
September 25
7:00 p.m.
Navy
Houston
TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX
ESPNU
HOU 28–20
25,054
September 25
8:00 p.m.
UAB
Tulane
Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA
ESPN+
L 21–28 16,023
September 25
10:15 p.m.
South Florida
No. 15 BYU
LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, UT
ESPN2
L 27–35 60,217
# Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time .
Date
Bye Week
September 25
UCF
No. 8 Cincinnati
Week Five
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
7:30 p.m.
Houston
Tulsa
H.A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK (rivalry )
ESPN
HOU 45–10
15,890
October 2
Noon
Memphis
Temple
Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA
ESPNU
TEM 34–31
28,573
October 2
2:30 p.m.
No. 7 Cincinnati
No. 9 Notre Dame
Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN
NBC
W 24–13 77,622
October 2
3:30 p.m.
Tulane
East Carolina
Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC
ESPN+
ECU 52–29
33,475
October 2
3:30 p.m.
UCF
Navy
Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD
CBSSN
NAVY 34–30
30,871
October 2
4:00 p.m.
South Florida
SMU
Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX
ESPNU
SMU 41–17
23,355
# Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time .
Week Six
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
7:30 p.m.
Houston
Tulane
Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA
ESPN
HOU 40–22
15,026
7:00 p.m.
Temple
No. 5 Cincinnati
Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH
ESPN
CIN 52–3
37,978
October 9
3:30 p.m.
No. 24 SMU
Navy
Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD (Gansz Trophy )
CBSSN
SMU 31–24
28,563
October 9
6:00 p.m.
East Carolina
UCF
Bounce House • Orlando, FL
ESPN+
UCF 20–16
41,649
October 9
9:00 p.m.
Memphis
Tulsa
H.A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK
ESPN2
TLSA 35–29
17,593
# Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time .
Date
Bye Week
October 9
South Florida
Week Seven
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
7:30 p.m.
Navy
Memphis
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN
ESPN
MEM 35–17
30,042
October 16
Noon
UCF
No. 3 Cincinnati
Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH
ABC
CIN 56–21
37,978
October 16
Noon
Tulsa
South Florida
Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL
ESPNU
TLSA 32–31
21,767
# Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time .
Date
Bye Week
October 16
East Carolina
Houston
No. 23 SMU
Temple
Tulane
Week Eight
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
7:30 p.m.
Tulane
No. 21 SMU
Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX
ESPN
SMU 55–26
22,843
7:00 p.m.
Memphis
UCF
Bounce House • Orlando, FL
ESPN2
UCF 24–7
39,328
October 23
Noon
No. 2 Cincinnati
Navy
Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD
ESPN2
CIN 27–20
32,004
October 23
7:00 p.m.
Temple
South Florida
Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL
ESPN+
USF 34–14
25,430
October 23
9:20 p.m.
East Carolina
Houston
TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX
ESPNews α
HOU 31–24 OT
22,925
# Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time .
^α ESPNU at 4PM ET, but moved to 9:20PM ET on ESPNews because of a rain delay.[ 37]
Date
Bye Week
October 23
Tulsa
Week Nine
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
7:30 p.m.
South Florida
East Carolina
Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC
ESPN
ECU 29–14
32,015
7:30 p.m.
Navy
Tulsa
H.A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK
ESPN2
NAVY 20–17
16,279
October 30
Noon
UCF
Temple
Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA
ESPN+
UCF 49–7
19,595
October 30
Noon
No. 2 Cincinnati
Tulane
Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA
ESPN2
CIN 31–12
17,012
October 30
7:00 p.m.
No. 19 SMU
Houston
TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX (rivalry )
ESPN2
HOU 44–37
25,676
# Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time .
Date
Bye Week
October 30
Memphis
Week Ten
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
November 6
Noon
No. 23 SMU
Memphis
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN
ESPNU
MEM 28–25
30,191
November 6
3:00 p.m.
Temple
East Carolina
Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC
ESPN+
ECU 45–3
32,817
November 6
3:30 p.m.
Tulsa
No. 2 Cincinnati
Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH (College GameDay )
ESPN2
CIN 28–20
37,978
November 6
3:30 p.m.
Navy
No. 8 Notre Dame
Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry )
NBC
L 6–34 77,096
November 6
4:00 p.m.
Tulane
UCF
Bounce House • Orlando, FL
ESPNU
UCF 14–10
41,030
November 6
7:30 p.m.
No. 20 Houston
South Florida
Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL
ESPNU
HOU 54–42
28,667
# Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time .
Week Eleven
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
6:00 p.m.
No. 2 Cincinnati
South Florida
Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL
ESPN2
CIN 48–28
30,708
November 13
Noon
UCF
SMU
Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX
ESPNU
SMU 55–28
23,175
November 13
Noon
No. 17 Houston
Temple
Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA
ESPN+
HOU 37–8
18,440
November 13
Noon
East Carolina
Memphis
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN
ESPN+
ECU 30–29 OT
28,431
November 13
4:00 p.m.
Tulsa
Tulane
Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA
ESPNU
TLSA 20–13 OT
22,784
# Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time .
Date
Bye Week
November 13
Navy
Week Twelve
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
9:00 p.m.
Memphis
No. 17 Houston
TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX
ESPN2
HOU 31–13
28,712
November 20
Noon
South Florida
Tulane
Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA
ESPN+
TULN 45–14
14,496
November 20
3:30 p.m.
SMU
No. 3 Cincinnati
Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH
ESPN
CIN 48–14
37,978
November 20
3:30 p.m.
East Carolina
Navy
Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD
CBSSN
ECU 38–35
28,001
November 20
4:00 p.m.
UConn
UCF
Bounce House • Orlando, FL (Civil Conflict )
ESPN+
W 49–17 37,454
November 20
4:00 p.m.
Temple
Tulsa
H.A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK
ESPN+
TLSA 44–10
16,731
# Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time .
Week Thirteen
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
3:30 p.m.
No. 4 Cincinnati
East Carolina
Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC
ABC
CIN 35–13
38,014
3:30 p.m.
South Florida
UCF
Bounce House • Orlando, FL (War on I-4 )
ESPN
UCF 17–13
41,157
November 27
Noon
No. 19 Houston
UConn
Rentschler Field • East Hartford, CT
CBSSN
W 45–17 12,685
November 27
Noon
Navy
Temple
Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA
ESPNU
NAVY 38–14
16,708
November 27
4:00 p.m.
Tulsa
SMU
Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX
ESPN2
TLSA 34–31
17,158
November 27
7:30 p.m.
Tulane
Memphis
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN
ESPNU
MEM 33–28
27,416
# Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time .
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
December 4
4:00 p.m.
No. 16 Houston
No. 3 Cincinnati
Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH
ABC
CIN 35–20
37,978
# Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time .
Week Fifteen
^ Originally scheduled to be played as a home game, the game against Oklahoma was moved to Norman, Oklahoma on August 30, 2021, due to safety concerns related to Hurricane Ida . Tulane will remain the designated home team despite Oklahoma hosting the game.[ 36]
^ Originally scheduled to be played as a home game, the game against Morgan State was moved to Birmingham, Alabama due continued storm repairs taking place in New Orleans following Hurricane Ida . Tulane remained the designated home team.
Postseason
Bowl games
In 2021 the American will send teams to the Military Bowl , Fenway Bowl , and Hawaii Bowl annually. The American will have four selections from the following bowls:Frisco Bowl , Cure Bowl , Boca Raton Bowl , Gasparilla Bowl . Birmingham Bowl , First Responder Bowl and Myrtle Beach Bowl .[ 38] New Year's Six bowl if a team finishes higher than the champions of Group of Five conferences in the final College Football Playoff rankings. American teams are also eligible for the College Football Playoff if they're among the top four teams in the final CFP ranking.[ 39]
Cancelled bowls
The following bowl games tied in with the American Athletic Conference had their 2021 editions canceled :
^A Hawaii Bowl against Hawaii on December 24. Hawaii was forced to withdraw from the bowl game due to a shortage of available players, stemming from a combination of a COVID-19 outbreak within the team, players already out with injury, and players who transferred away from the school at the conclusion of the regular season.[ 40] ^B Military Bowl against Boston College on December 27. On December 26 the game was cancelled after Boston College had over 40 players unavailable to play in the Military Bowl against East Carolina. In a statement, Boston College said it did not have enough players to field a team because of coronavirus issues, season-ending injuries, opt-outs and transfers.[ 41] ^C Fenway Bowl against Virginia on December 29. Virginia was forced to withdraw game due to the number of COVID cases impacting its roster, preventing safe participation. As a result of this withdrawal, the game and associated activities will no longer take place[ 42]
Legend
American win
American loss
Bowl game[ 43]
Date
Site
Television
Time (EST )
American team
Opponent
Score
Attendance
Myrtle Beach Bowl
December 20, 2021
Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC
ESPN
2:30 p.m.
Tulsa
Old Dominion
W 30–17
6,557
Gasparilla Bowl
December 23, 2021
Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL
ESPN
7:00 p.m.
UCF
Florida
W 29–17
63,669
Hawaii Bowl
December 24, 2021
Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex • Honolulu, HI
ESPN
8:00 p.m.
Memphis
Hawaii
Cancelled A
Military Bowl
December 27, 2021
Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD
ESPN
2:30 p.m.
East Carolina
Boston College
Cancelled B
Birmingham Bowl
December 28, 2021
Protective Stadium • Birmingham, AL
ESPN
12:00 p.m.
No. 20 Houston
Auburn
W 17–13
47,100
Fenway Bowl
December 29, 2021
Fenway Park • Boston, MA
ESPN
11:00 a.m.
SMU
Virginia
Cancelled C
College Football Playoff
Cotton Bowl Classic
December 31, 2021
AT&T Stadium • Arlington, Texas
ESPN
3:30 p.m.
No. 4 Cincinnati
No. 1 Alabama
L 6–27
76,313
Rankings from Final CFP rankings. All times Eastern Time Zone. American teams bolded.
Selection of teams
Bowl-eligible (7): Cincinnati, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, SMU, UCF, TulsaBowl-ineligible: (4): Navy, South Florida, Temple, Tulane
American vs other conferences
American vs Power Five matchups
The following games include American teams competing against Power Five conferences teams from the ACC , Big Ten , Big 12 , BYU /Notre Dame , Pac-12 and SEC ). All rankings are from the AP Poll at the time of the game.
Date
Conference
Visitor
Home
Site
Score
September 2
ACC
South Florida NC State
Carter–Finley Stadium • Raleigh, NC
L 0–45
September 4
Big 12
Texas Tech
Houston
NRG Stadium • Houston, TX
L 21–38
September 4
Big Ten
Temple Rutgers
SHI Stadium • Piscataway, NJ
L 14–61
September 4
Big 12
No. 2 Oklahoma
Tulane
Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK
L 35–40
September 11
SEC
South Carolina
East Carolina
Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC
L 17–20
September 11
SEC
No. 13 Florida
South Florida
Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL
L 20–42
September 11
Big 12
Tulsa Oklahoma State
Boone Pickens Stadium • Stillwater, OK
L 23–28
September 17
ACC
UCF Louisville
Cardinal Stadium • Louisville, KY
L 35–42
September 18
Big Ten
No. 8 Cincinnati
Indiana
Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN
W 38–24
September 18
SEC
Mississippi State
Memphis
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN
W 31–29
September 18
ACC
Boston College
Temple
Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA
L 3–28
September 18
SEC
Tulane No. 17 Ole Miss
Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS
L 21–61
September 18
Big Ten
Tulsa No. 9 Ohio State
Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH
L 20–41
September 25
Independent
South Florida BYU
LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, UT
L 27–35
September 25
Big 12
SMU TCU
Amon G. Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, TX
W 42–34
October 2
Independent
No. 7 Cincinnati
No. 9 Notre Dame
Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN
W 24–13
November 6
Independent
Navy Notre Dame
Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN
L 6–34
American vs Group of Five matchups
The following games include American teams competing against teams from C-USA , MAC , Mountain West or Sun Belt .
Date
Conference
Visitor
Home
Site
Score
September 2
Sun Belt
East Carolina Appalachian State
Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, NC
L 19–33
September 4
Mountain West
Boise State
UCF
Bounce House • Orlando, FL
W 36–31
September 4
MAC
Miami (OH)
No. 8 Cincinnati
Nippert Stadium• Cincinnati, OH
W 49–14
September 4
C-USA
Marshall
Navy
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD
L 7–49
September 11
C-USA
Houston Rice
Rice Stadium • Houston, TX
W 44–7
September 11
Sun Belt
Memphis Arkansas State
Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR
W 55–50
September 11
Mountain West
Air Force
Navy
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD
L 3–23
September 11
C-USA
North Texas
SMU
Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX
W 35–12
September 11
MAC
Temple Akron
InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH
W 45–24
September 18
C-USA
East Carolina Marshall
Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV
W 42–38
September 18
C-USA
SMU Louisiana Tech
Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA
W 39–37
September 25
C-USA
UTSA
Memphis
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN
L 28–31
September 25
C-USA
UAB
Tulane
Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA
L 21–28
September 25
Sun Belt
Arkansas State
Tulsa
H.A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK
W 41–34
American vs FBS independents matchups
The following games include American teams competing against FBS Independents , which includes Army , Liberty , New Mexico State , UConn or UMass .
Date
Visitor
Home
Site
Score
November 20
UConn
UCF
Bounce House • Orlando, FL
W 49–17
November 27
No. 19 Houston
UConn
Rentschler Field • East Hartford, CT
W 45–17
December 11
Army
Navy
MetLife Stadium • East Rutherford, NJ
W 17–13
American vs FCS matchups
The Football Championship Subdivision comprises 13 conferences and two independent programs.
Date
Visitor
Home
Site
Score
September 2
UC Davis
Tulsa
H.A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK
L 17–19
September 4
Abilene Christian
SMU
Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX
W 56–9
September 4
Nicholls
Memphis
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN
W 42–17
September 11
Murray State
No. 7 Cincinnati
Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH
W 42–7
September 11
Morgan State
Tulane
Legion Field • Birmingham, AL
W 69–20
September 11
Bethune-Cookman
UCF
Bounce House • Orlando, FL
W 63–14
September 18
Grambling State
Houston
TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX
W 45–0
September 18
Florida A&M
South Florida
Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL
W 38–17
September 25
Charleston Southern
East Carolina
Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC
W 31–28
September 25
Wagner
Temple
Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA
W 41–7
Records against other conferences
Regular Season
Post Season
Awards and honors
Player of the week honors
Week
Offensive
Defensive
Specialist
Player
Team
Position
Player
Team
Position
Player
Team
Position
WEEK 1[ 44]
Tanner Mordecai
SMU
QB
Kalia Davis
UCF
DL
Joe Doyle
Memphis
P
WEEK 2[ 45]
Calvin Austin
Memphis
WR
William Kwenkeu
Temple
LB
Mannie Nunnery
Houston
LB
WEEK 3[ 46]
Tanner Mordecai (2)
SMU
QB
Deshawn Pace
Cincinnati
LB
Calvin Austin
Memphis
WR
WEEK 4[ 47]
Davis Brin
Tulsa
QB
Derek Parish
Houston
LB
Marcus Jones
Houston
CB
WEEK 5[ 48]
Desmond Ridder
Cincinnati
QB
Taylor Robinson
Navy
S
Marcus Jones (2)
Houston
CB
WEEK 6[ 49]
Jerome Ford
Cincinnati
RB
Tatum Bethune
UCF
LB
Bryan Massey
SMU
S
WEEK 7[ 50]
Jerome Ford (2)
Cincinnati
RB
Justin Wright
Tulsa
LB
Brian Battie
South Florida
RB
WEEK 8[ 51]
Tanner Mordecai (3)
SMU
QB
Donavan Mutin
Houston
LB
Marcus Jones (3)
Houston
CB
WEEK 9[ 52]
Nathaniel Dell
Houston
WR
Malik Fleming
East Carolina
CB
Marcus Jones (4)
Houston
CB
WEEK 10[ 53]
Clayton Tune
Houston
QB
Rodney Owens
Memphis
CB
Brian Battie (2)
South Florida
RB
WEEK 11[ 54]
Tanner Mordecai (4)
SMU
QB
Justin Wright (2)
Tulsa
LB
Owen Daffer
East Carolina
K
WEEK 12[ 55]
Desmond Ridder (2)
Cincinnati
QB
Marcus Jones
Houston
CB
Owen Daffer (2)
East Carolina
K
WEEK 13[ 56]
Seth Henigan
Memphis
QB
Sauce Gardner
Cincinnati
CB
David Kemp
Memphis
K
American Athletic Individual Awards
The following individuals received postseason honors as chosen by the league's head coaches.[ 57]
All-Conference Teams
* Denotes Unanimous Selection
All Conference Honorable Mentions:
UCF: Tatum Bethune (LB), Cole Schneider (OG), Marcus Tatum (OT)
Cincinnati: Marcus Brown (DL), Deshawn Pace (LB), Josh Whyle (TE)
Houston: Laine Wilkins (P)
South Florida: Jaren Mangham (RB), Spenser Shrader (P)
SMU: Rashee Rice (WR)
Temple: C.J. Perez (C)
Tulane: Sincere Haynesworth (C), Dorian Williams (LB), Macon Clark (S)
Tulsa: Chris Paul (OG), Justin Wright (LB)
All-Americans
The 2021 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following College Football All-American first teams chosen by the following selector organizations: Associated Press (AP), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Walter Camp Foundation (WCFF), Sporting News TSN , from its historic name of The Sporting News ), Sports Illustrated SI ), The Athletic USA Today ESPN , CBS Sports (CBS), College Football News CFN ), Athlon Sports , Phil Steele , and Fox Sports (FOX).
Currently, the NCAA compiles consensus all-America teams using a point system computed from All-America teams named by coaches associations or media sources. Players are chosen against other players playing at their position only. To be selected a consensus All-American, players must be chosen to the first team on at least half of the five official selectors as recognized by the NCAA. Second- and third-team honors are used to break ties. Players named first-team by all five selectors are deemed unanimous All-Americans . Currently, the NCAA recognizes All-Americans selected by the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN , and the WCFF to determine consensus and unanimous All-Americans.[ 58]
Position
Player
School
Selector
Unanimous
Consensus
First Team All-Americans
CB
Sauce Gardner
Cincinnati
(AFCA , AP , CBS, ESPN, FWAA , The Athletic, TSN , USAT)
*
CB
Coby Bryant
Cincinnati
(AFCA , WCFF )
DB
Marcus Jones
Houston
(AP )
AP
Marcus Jones
Houston
(CBS, ESPN, FWAA , The Athletic, TSN , USAT)
*
KR
Brian Battie
South Florida
(FWAA, WCFF )
*
List of All American Teams
National award winners
Home Depot Coach of the Year Award Luke Fickell , Cincinnati[ 59]
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year [ 60]
Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year [ 61]
AFCA Coach of Year [ 62]
Bear Bryant Award [ 63]
Paul Hornung Award Marcus Jones , Houston[ 64]
Jim Thorpe Award Coby Bryant , Cincinnati[ 65]
Jet Award [ 66]
[ 67]
NFL Draft
The following list includes all AAC players who were drafted in the 2022 NFL draft .
References
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Current teams Championships & awards Seasons (1991-2012) Seasons (post-breakup)
Conference seasons Inter-conference All-Americans
