We like to think that the American Athletic Conference is the best among the so-called Group of Five leagues, and it probably is. However, here’s a little perspective on how wide the gap is between the G5 and Power 4 programs.
When Army took its perfect 9-0 season to Yankee Stadium last Saturday to play Notre Dame, the Black Knights were sent home with a 42-7 thrashing. And that’s just the beginning.
Remember when Navy was unbeaten and one of the season's best stories? That ended in a non-competitive 51-14 loss to Notre Dame.
After last weekend, AAC teams had stepped up in weight class against P4 teams 16 times this season.
The record is 1-15., and even the one win deserves an asterisk. That’s when Memphis went to Tallahassee and eked out a win against a Florida State team that proved to be terrible.
Tulane looks like the best AAC team, but the Green Wave lost at Kansas State and Oklahoma – its only two losses this season.
USF fans likely were satisfied when the Bulls went to Alabama and played the Crimson Tide tough until the last six minutes. They were probably less understanding when the Bulls were steamrolled in the second half by Miami, but the ‘Canes turned out to be better than we thought they were before they came to Tampa.
UTSA fans were undoubtedly excited in the week leading up to the Roadrunners’ game with Texas. A 56-7 drubbing took a little life out of the party.
This all requires a little perspective about where the AAC programs are in relation to the power leagues.
Our friends at UCF are learning this season how big of a jump it was when the Knights joined the Big 12. They are 4-7 and, at one point, lost seven conference games in eight tries. A 31-21 loss at West Virginia means UCF’s streak of eight consecutive bowl appearances is over, and the natives are grumbling about head coach Gus Malzahn.
It's no secret that USF wants to leave the kiddie table and join a power conference, and Vice President for Athletics Michael Kelly and the leadership team are building toward that goal. The on-campus stadium that will be ready for the 2027 season is a key component of the plan to be ready when/if the opportunity occurs to make a move.
The changing college landscape means USF must be competitive with NIL money. The Bulls are working toward that goal.
Alex Golesh is going toe-to-toe with P4 schools in recruiting and has had some successes. The infrastructure around the program is already P4 worthy, and over the next few years, USF has multiple power teams on its non-conference schedule.
Next year, the Bulls are at Florida and Miami. By the way, they are opening at home with Boise State, a power team in G5 clothing.
In 2026, it’s back to Alabama. Louisville is the dedication game for the new stadium in 2027, and they’ll be at Miami in 2028. N.C. State and Notre Dame will come to USF the following year. And who knows, maybe Louisville could be a conference game by the time the stadium opens.
Right now, though, the Bulls have shown the short-term goal should be more modest. Build the program to be on par with Memphis and Tulane – which I believe they will – and then realize how big of a leap that next step will be.
In the meantime, enjoy the bowl game. And if you want to rub some salt in UCF’s wounds right now, that would be OK.