American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game Explained

American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game
Sport:Football
Conference:The American
Years:2015–present
Most Recent:2023
Current Champion:SMU
Most Championships:Cincinnati, UCF (2)
Television:ABC
Website:Official site
Sponsors:Roofclaim.com (2021–2022)
All Stadiums:Best conference team's home field (2015–present)

The American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game is a college football game currently held by the American Athletic Conference (The American) each year to determine the conference's season champion. The inaugural game was held on December 5, 2015, at 12:00 pm ET.[1]

The game previously pitted the champion of the Eastern Division (UCF, Cincinnati, Connecticut, East Carolina, South Florida, and Temple) against the champion of the Western Division (Houston, Memphis, Navy, SMU, Tulane, and Tulsa). The game was played at the home stadium of the division winner with the better conference record.[2]

In 2020, UConn left the conference, leading to the dissolution of the divisions. Because of new NCAA rules regarding conference championships, the game has become a matchup between the top two teams in the conference.

Television broadcast rights to the game are owned by ESPN, with the game airing on ABC.[1]

History

The American was reorganized following the tumultuous period of realignment that hobbled the Big East between 2010 and 2013. In all, 14 member schools announced their departure for other conferences, and 15 other schools announced plans to join the conference (eight as all-sports members, and four for football only). In December 2012, the Big East's seven remaining non-FBS schools, all Catholic institutions – DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, and Villanova – announced that they voted unanimously to leave the conference.

After a settlement in 2013 between the non-FBS schools and the FBS schools regarding the use of the conference name, the ten remaining football playing members renamed themselves the American Athletic Conference.[3] In 2014, Louisville and Rutgers departed the conference and joined the ACC and Big Ten, respectively. Their departure was succeeded on the same day by the entrance of East Carolina, Tulane, and Tulsa for all sports.[4] In 2015, the U.S. Naval Academy joined the conference for football, bringing the membership total in that sport to twelve teams. At which time, the conference split into two six-team divisions and established a football conference championship game.[2]

On July 1, 2020, UConn officially left The American, with its football team becoming an FBS independent once the school joined the Big East.[5] After a brief exploration period, The American elected not to add another team to rebalance divisions. Beginning with the 2020 season, divisions were eliminated, and since then the championship game has been played by the two teams that achieved the best record in regular season conference play. Despite further conference expansion in 2023–24, division play did not return.

Pre-championship game era

The 2013 and 2014 American Athletic Conference football champions were determined by the team(s) with the best conference record. There was no championship game held. In years when two or more teams tied in conference record, co-champions were declared.

SeasonChampion(s)Conference
record
Overall
record
8–0 12–1
20147–1 10–3
7–1 9–4
7–1 9–4

Results

Below are the results from all AAC Championship Games played. The winning team appears in bold font, on a background of their primary team color. Rankings are from the AP Poll released prior to the game.

YearWest DivisionEast Division SiteAttendanceMVP
2015style=17 2413TDECU Stadium • Houston, Texas35,721Greg Ward, Houston
201610style= 34Navy–Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, Maryland22,815P. J. Walker, Temple
201755 style=12 622OTSpectrum Stadium • Orlando, Florida41,433McKenzie Milton, UCF
201841style=7 5645,176Darriel Mack Jr., UCF
2019style=16 2924Liberty Bowl Memorial StadiumMemphis, Tennessee33,008Antonio Gibson, Memphis
YearNo. 1 SeedNo. 2 SeedSiteAttendanceMVP
2020style=6 2724Nippert StadiumCincinnati, Ohio5,831Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
2021style=3 3516 Houston Cougars2037,978Jerome Ford, Cincinnati
2022style=18 4522 UCF Knights28Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, Louisianaalign=center 30,118Michael Pratt, Tulane
202317 Tulane Green Wave14style=25 26align=center 25,206Isaiah Nwokobia, SMU
2020 game attendance limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results by team

AppearancesSchoolWinsLossesPct.Year(s) WonYear(s) Lost
3style=212017, 20182022
style=212020, 20212019
style=1220192017, 2018
2style=1120152021
style=1120162015
style=1120222023
1style=102023 
style=01 2016
style=01 2020

Game records

TeamRecord, Team vs. OpponentYear
Most points scored (one team)62, UCF vs. Memphis2017
Most points scored (losing team)55, Memphis vs. UCF2017
Most points scored (both teams)117, UCF (62) vs. Memphis (55)2017
Fewest points scored (winning team)24, Houston vs. Temple2015
Fewest points allowed10, Temple vs. Navy2016
Fewest points scored (both teams)37, Houston (24) vs. Temple (13)2015
Most points scored in a half38, Memphis (1st half) vs. UCF2018
Most points scored in a half (both teams)59, UCF vs. Memphis (1st half)2018
Largest margin of victory24, Temple (34) vs. Navy (10)2016
Smallest margin of victory3, Cincinnati (27) vs. Tulsa (24)2020
Total yards753, Memphis (471 passing, 282 rushing) vs. UCF2017
Rushing yards401, Memphis vs. UCF2018
Passing yards494, UCF vs. Memphis2017
First downs 34, UCF vs. Memphis2018
Fewest yards allowed306, Temple vs. Navy (138 passing, 168 rushing)2016
Fewest rushing yards allowed98, Houston vs. Temple2015
Fewest passing yards allowed106, Temple vs. Houston2015
IndividualRecord, Player, Team vs. OpponentYear
All-purpose yards 558, McKenzie Milton, UCF vs. Memphis 2017
Touchdowns (all-purpose) 6, McKenzie Milton, UCF vs. Memphis 2017
Rushing yards 210, Darrell Henderson, Memphis vs. UCF 2018
Rushing touchdowns 4, Darriel Mack Jr., UCF vs. Memphis 2018
Passing yards 494, McKenzie Milton, UCF vs. Memphis 2017
Passing touchdowns 5, McKenzie Milton, UCF vs. Memphis 2017
Receiving yards 195, Anthony Miller, Memphis vs. UCF 2017
Receiving touchdowns 3, Anthony Miller, Memphis vs. UCF 2017
Tackles 14, Curtis Akins, Memphis vs. UCF 2018
Sacks 2, shared by:
Shaquem Griffin, UCF vs. Memphis
Treyvon Reeves, Tulsa vs. Cincinnati
 
2017
2020
Interceptions 1, shared by fourteen players, most recent:
Davonte Brown, UCF vs. Tulane
 
2022
Long PlaysRecord, Player, Team vs. OpponentYear
Touchdown run 82, Darrell Henderson, Memphis vs. UCF 2018
Touchdown pass 68, Anthony Miller from Riley Ferguson, Memphis vs. UCF 2017
Kickoff return 32, Tony Pollard, Memphis vs. UCF 2017
Punt return 42, Otis Anderson Jr., UCF vs. Memphis 2018
Interception return 70, Ja'Von Hicks, Cincinnati vs. Memphis 2019
Fumble return 6, Justin Wright, Tulsa vs. Cincinnati 2020
Punt 63, Alex Barta, Navy vs. Temple 2016
Field goal 52, Riley Patterson, Memphis vs. Cincinnati 2019
MiscellaneousRecord, Team vs. TeamYear
Game attendance 45,176, UCF vs. Memphis 2018
Source:[6]

Selection criteria

Team selection

The two teams with the best winning percentage in conference play will play in the Championship Game. If there's a two-team tie for first place, both teams will play in the Championship Game. In the event that two teams are tied for second place, head-to head result would break the tie. If the two teams did not play, the team with higher CFP Rankings will be in the Championship game. If a team or teams lose in the final weekend of the Conference play to create a tie, and there are subsequent CFP rankings, those subsequent rankings break ties.

If regular season ends and the Championship Game is scheduled for the next Saturday, the following tiebreakers are used:

  1. if one of the tied teams wins in the final week it will be in the Championship. If that team loses, a composite average of selected computer rankings are used to determine participants.
  1. If both teams are ranked in the latest CFP Rankings, the higher ranked team that wins in the final weekend will be in the Championship.
  1. If neither of the tied teams ranked in the latest CFP Rankings win, a composite average of selected computer rankings are used to determine participants.
  1. If no teams are ranked in the latest CFP Rankings rankings, a composite average of selected computer rankings are used to determine participants.

The following procedures are used when there's a multiple team tie.

  1. Conference Records of tied teams in a mini round-robin
  1. The team with higher CFP Ranking; If a team or teams lose in the final weekend of the Conference season to create a tie, and there are subsequent CFP rankings, those subsequent rankings break ties.

If regular season ends and the Championship Game is scheduled for the next Saturday, the following tiebreakers are used to break multi-team ties:

  1. if the highest ranked team in the latest CFP Rankings wins in the final week it will be in the Championship. If that team loses, a composite average of selected computer rankings are used to break ties.
  1. If there are multiple teams ranked in the latest CFP Rankings, the higher ranked team or teams that wins will be in the Championship.
  1. If neither of the tied teams are ranked in the latest CFP Rankings win, a composite average of selected computer rankings are used to break ties.
  1. If no teams are ranked in the latest CFP Rankings ranked, a composite average of selected computer rankings are used to break ties.

Site selection

The team with the highest winning percentage in Conference play will host. If both participants are tied, Head-to-head is the tie breaker. If the two teams did not play, the team with the higher CFP Ranking will host. The latest CFP Rankings will be used to break ties. If a team or teams lose in the final weekend of the Conference season to create a tie, and there are subsequent CFP rankings, those subsequent rankings break ties.[7]

If regular season ends and the Championship Game is scheduled for the next Saturday, the following tiebreakers are used:

  1. if one of the tied teams wins in the final week it will host. If that team loses, a composite average of selected computer rankings will be used to determine host.
  1. If both teams are ranked in the latest CFP Rankings multiple, the higher ranked team that wins in the final weekend will host.
  1. If neither of the tied teams ranked in the latest CFP Rankings win, a composite average of selected computer rankings are used to determine host.
  1. If no teams are ranked in the latest CFP Rankings rankings, a composite average of selected computer rankings are used to determine host.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The American Championship Central. American Athletic Conference. June 4, 2015.
  2. News: American Announces Football Schedule Format for 2015-18. USA Today. December 18, 2012.
  3. News: American Athletic Conference unveils its primary logos. Wolken. Dan. USA Today. May 29, 2013. Beyond the challenge of avoiding something that looked corporate, the league also couldn't build the logo around an acronym. From the very beginning, the conference office has been adamant that it wants to be known as The American instead of the AAC to avoid confusion with the Atlantic Coast Conference..
  4. News: At a glance: Latest wave of conference realignment . . June 29, 2014 . June 30, 2014.
  5. News: UConn leaving AAC in '20, will owe $17M exit fee . Jeff . Borzello . . July 26, 2019 . July 26, 2019.
  6. Web site: 2021 Football Media Guide . 81 . theamerican.org . November 23, 2021.
  7. Web site: 2020 Football Tiebreakers. American Athletic Conference . October 26, 2020 . December 12, 2020.