The American Athletic Conference recently announced that six schools including Charlotte, North Texas, Rice, UAB, UTSA, and FAU will be joining the league. The expectation is that these teams will be official members of the AAC as of 2023; this move was primarily made in response to Cincinnati, Houston and UCF leaving to the Big 12 last month.
FAU has been a member of Conference USA for nearly a decade, and the Owls will now compete in a 14-team league. FAU had great success in Conference USA with several championships in different sports. However, chairman Abdol Moabery said this move signifies an effort to increase opportunities for student-athletes and a trend in popularity. Athletic Director Brian White described the shift as a historic decision for the university.
The FAU Owls had their program in the right direction ever since Lane Kiffin became the head coach in 2017. FAU will now gain recognition from joining the AAC, and this move will help Willie Taggart take his program to the next level in recruiting.
Other teams in the AAC include East Carolina, South Florida, Memphis, Navy, SMU, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa and Wichita State.