On July 1, the 11-team AAC subtracts three of its members and adds six. Overall the conference expands to 14, matching the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, and SEC as the largest football conferences for the 2023 football season.
Nearly half of the AAC will be comprised of former CUSA newcomers. Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA are among the six institutions making the transition, which has been in the works since October 2021.
But how will these teams fare in year one as AAC members? When the AAC was founded from the remnants of the Big East in 2013, UCF captured the conference title in its inaugural year after transitioning from the CUSA.