The most eventful offseason in college football history will have its ripple effects felt in the American Athletic Conference. An offseason which revolutionized the sport with the passage of NIL legislation also featured a discussion about the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams, and now, conference realignment.
In the past week, Oklahoma and Texas shook up the college football landscape by announcing departure from the Big 12 in favor of joining the SEC in 2025. The exodus of the Sooners and Longhorns is set to contract the Big 12 to eight teams. As a result, rumors circled last week that the AAC conspired with ESPN in order to pursue “3-5” Big 12 members to add to the conference, per CBS Sports.