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New-look AAC releases 2023 football schedule

Six former C-USA members are set to participate in a crowded 14-team AAC in 2023.

NCAA Football: American Athletic Conference Championship-Central Florida at Tulane Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The 2023 iteration of the American Athletic Conference is essentially a merger of two conferences. Eight of the 14 teams comprising the league hail from last year’s AAC, while six new members — Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA — realigned from Conference USA.

The league will officially lose the triumvirate of Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF on July 1, so this 2023 season features a conspicuous shakeup in the structure of the AAC. This new-look AAC became more of a reality for incumbent and new members alike on Tuesday morning, when the conference released its official 2023 football schedule.

Here is the schedule for all 14 member institutions:

2023 AAC Football Schedule

Week Saturday Date Charlotte East Carolina Florida Atlantic Memphis Navy North Texas Rice SMU South Florida Temple Tulane Tulsa UAB UTSA
Week Saturday Date Charlotte East Carolina Florida Atlantic Memphis Navy North Texas Rice SMU South Florida Temple Tulane Tulsa UAB UTSA
0 Sat, Aug. 26 BYE BYE BYE BYE vs. Notre Dame* BYE BYE BYE BYE BYE BYE BYE BYE BYE
1 Sat, Sep. 2 vs. SC State [FCS] @ Michigan vs. Monmouth [FCS] vs. B-CU [FCS] BYE vs. California @ Texas vs. Louisiana Tech @ WKU vs. Akron vs. South Alabama vs. Arkansas-PB [FCS] vs. NC A&T [FCS] (Thu) @ Houston
2 Sat, Sep. 9 @ Maryland vs. Marshall vs. Ohio @ Arkansas State vs. Wagner [FCS] @ FIU vs. Houston** @ Oklahoma vs. FAMU [FCS] @ Rutgers vs. Ole Miss @ Washington @ Georgia Southern vs. Texas State
3 Sat, Sep. 16 vs. Georgia State @ Appalachian State @ Clemson vs. Navy (Thu) @ Memphis (Thu) @ Louisiana Tech vs. Texas Southern [FCS] vs. Prairie View [FCS] vs. Alabama vs. Norfolk State [FCS] @ Southern Miss vs. Oklahoma vs. Louisiana vs. Army (Fri)
4 Sat, Sep. 23 @ Florida vs. Gardner-Webb [FCS] @ Illinois vs. Missouri* BYE BYE @ South Florida @ TCU vs. Rice vs. Miami (FL) vs. Nicholls [FCS] @ Northern Illinois @ Georgia @ Tennessee
5 Sat, Sep. 30 @ SMU @ Rice BYE vs. Boise State vs. South Florida vs. ACU [FCS] vs. East Carolina vs. Charlotte @ Navy @ Tulsa (Thu) vs. UAB vs. Temple (Thu) @ Tulane BYE
6 Sat, Oct. 7 BYE BYE vs. Tulsa BYE vs. North Texas @ Navy vs. UConn BYE @ UAB vs. UTSA BYE @ FAU vs. South Florida @ Temple
7 Sat, Oct. 14 vs. Navy vs. SMU (Thu) @ South Florida vs. Tulane (Fri) @ Charlotte vs. Temple BYE @ East Carolina (Thu) vs. FAU @ North Texas @ Memphis (Fri) BYE @ UTSA vs. UAB
8 Sat, Oct. 21 @ East Carolina vs. Charlotte vs. UTSA @ UAB vs. Air Force @ Tulane @ Tulsa (Thu) @ Temple (Fri) @ UConn vs. SMU (Fri) vs. North Texas vs. Rice (Thu) vs. Memphis @ FAU
9 Sat, Oct. 28 vs. FAU (Fri) @ UTSA @ Charlotte (Fri) @ North Texas BYE vs. Memphis vs. Tulane vs. Tulsa BYE BYE @ Rice @ SMU BYE vs. East Carolina
10 Sat, Nov. 4 @ Tulsa vs. Tulane @ UAB vs. South Florida @ Temple vs. UTSA vs. SMU @ Rice @ Memphis vs. Navy @ East Carolina vs. Charlotte vs. FAU @ North Texas
11 Sat, Nov. 11 vs. Memphis @ FAU vs. East Carolina @ Charlotte vs. UAB @ SMU (Fri) @ UTSA vs. North Texas (Fri) vs. Temple @ South Florida vs. Tulsa @ Tulane @ Navy vs. Rice
12 Sat, Nov. 18 vs. Rice @ Navy vs. Tulane vs. SMU vs. East Carolina @ Tulsa @ Charlotte @ Memphis @ UTSA (Fri) @ UAB @ FAU vs. North Texas vs. Temple vs. South Florida (Fri)
13 Sat, Nov. 25 @ South Florida vs. Tulsa** @ Rice @ Temple** @ SMU vs. UAB** vs. FAU vs. Navy vs. Charlotte vs. Memphis** vs. UTSA** @ East Carolina** @ North Texas** @ Tulane**
14 Sat, Dec. 2 AAC Championship AAC Championship AAC Championship AAC Championship AAC Championship AAC Championship AAC Championship AAC Championship AAC Championship AAC Championship AAC Championship AAC Championship AAC Championship AAC Championship
15 Sat, Dec. 9 BYE BYE BYE BYE vs. Army* BYE BYE BYE BYE BYE BYE BYE BYE BYE
* - denotes neutral site game; ** - subject to move to Friday

Notes and trivia

  • There are three neutral site games on the 2023 AAC schedule. Navy kicks off its season on Week 0 in Dublin, Ireland against Notre Dame at Aviva Stadium on Aug. 26. The Midshipmen also close their season in neutral site action in the annual rivalry against Army. This year’s Army-Navy Game transpires at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA on Dec. 9. Lastly, Memphis and Missouri were originally slated to play at the Liberty Bowl, but last October, the Sept. 23 non-conference game was relocated to The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis — former home of the Rams.
  • SMU leads the conference with three confirmed weeknight games. The Mustangs take back-to-back road trips for a Thursday night showdown at East Carolina on Oct. 12 and a Friday night clash at Temple on Oct. 20. SMU hosts North Texas on Friday, Nov. 11 to close out its weeknight slate.
  • There are four matchups on Thanksgiving weekend that could shift to Friday: Tulsa @ East Carolina, Memphis @ Temple, UAB @ North Texas, and UTSA @ Tulane. Also, Rice’s Week 2 home game against crosstown rival Houston could be moved from Saturday to Friday, Sept. 8.
  • UAB is the only AAC team without a confirmed weeknight conference game this year. The Blazers open on a Thursday against FCS opponent North Carolina A&T, and they possibly conclude the regular season on Black Friday at North Texas. There are no weeknight games in between, however.
  • South Florida will be the second team to host Alabama in non-conference play since the Crimson Tide visited Penn State in 2011. The only other non-conference road game Alabama has played was last September at Texas. The Bulls’ home game at Raymond James Stadium against the perennial powerhouse is set for Saturday, Sept. 16.
  • The first conference game for the six AAC teams making their debut: Charlotte (@ SMU, Sept. 30); Florida Atlantic (vs. Tulsa, Oct. 7); North Texas (@ Navy, Oct. 7); Rice (@ South Florida, Sept. 30); UAB (@ Tulane, Sept. 30); UTSA (@ Temple, Oct. 7). Only Florida Atlantic kicks off AAC play at home.
  • The regular season finale between Tulane and UTSA in New Orleans is the only AAC matchup between two reigning conference champions. Tulane won the AAC last December, while UTSA took home the C-USA title. Both teams retain their head coaches and starting quarterbacks for 2023.
  • The AAC Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 2 will be played at the home field of the team with the best conference record, as usual. As the AAC has no divisions, the second best team will play the visitor role for the game. Three current AAC teams have hosted this game: Tulane (2022), Memphis (2019), Navy (2016). The AAC Championship Game winner has qualified for a New Year’s Six Bowl in six consecutive seasons.