The American Athletic Conference is showing increased interest in adding Air Force as a member, aiming to bring all three service academies—Army, Navy, and Air Force—into the same league for the first time, according to a person familiar with the AAC’s discussions who spoke to The Associated Press on Monday.
The person asked to remain anonymous because the conference’s internal discussions are not being publicly shared.
ESPN was the first to report that the American is pursuing Air Force, which is a founding member of the Mountain West and now faces potential upheaval with another round of conference realignments.
In response, the AAC declined to comment on potential expansion.
“In the past five months we have prioritized seizing every opportunity that enhances value for our member institutions and student-athletes,” the league said.
“Whether through private capital, naming rights, innovative partnerships, or realignment, we have proactively assessed each opportunity and are prepared to collaboratively take action to be at the forefront of success and sustainability.”
Recently, the Pac-12 announced that Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State would be leaving the Mountain West to join Oregon State and Washington State in a newly restructured Conference of Champions starting in 2026.
The Pac-12 still needs to add at least two more schools to be recognized as an NCAA and College Football Playoff conference in 2026.
With speculation that the Pac-12 might target schools from the American like Memphis and Tulane, the AAC is taking proactive steps under new Commissioner Tim Pernetti.
The conference recently added Army as a football-only member, joining Navy, which is also a football-only member. The Army-Navy game remains a nonconference matchup with its own television contract with CBS that runs through 2028.
Former AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco had long advocated for bringing in both Army and Air Force, believing that having all three service academies competing for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy could add value to the league.
