UNT Accepted as Member of the American Athletic Conference
10/21/2021 9:00:00 AM | Cross Country, Football, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Golf, Softball, Swimming and Diving, Women's Tennis, Track & Field/XC, Women's Basketball, Women's Golf, Women's Soccer, Women's Volleyball, Return to Play, Mean Green Athletic Fund, Academics, Compliance, Concessions, Corporate Sponsorship, Directions, Promotions, Marketing & Promotions, Strength And Conditioning, Athletics Communications, Traditions, Sports Medicine, Recruits, Tickets, Scrappy Squad, North Texas Classic, DATCU Stadium, Tailgating, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee , Media, Letterwinners Association, Strategic Plan, UNiTy, Beyond the Green, NAME, IMAGE, AND LIKENESS
DENTON, Texas – The University of North Texas has been accepted as a new member of the American Athletic Conference and will begin competition at a date determined by league officials.
"Moving into the American Athletic Conference is a proud moment not only for our athletics program but for our entire university," UNT President Neal Smatresk said. "As UNT has grown and made numerous advances in our academic programs and research enterprise in recent years, elevating our athletics program into a more prestigious conference like The American is a natural progression. This is an exciting new beginning for us."
UNT, established in 1890, has more than 42,000 students and is a Carnegie-ranked Tier One public research university. Athletically, the Mean Green have won 136 conference championships all-time across 12 different sports.
"On behalf of the University of North Texas, I want to thank Commissioner Mike Aresco and members of the American Athletic Conference for this incredible opportunity," UNT Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker said. "Today marks a transformational step forward for the University of North Texas and one all our alumni and fans should be proud of."
The 2020-21 academic year saw the Mean Green continue its upward momentum. Three Mean Green teams won conference championships, and the men's basketball team became the first team in school history to win a first-round NCAA Tournament game. Additionally, the Mean Green earned its fourth bowl berth in five years with a trip to the 2020 Myrtle Beach Bowl. Academically, UNT student-athletes completed their fourth and fifth consecutive semesters above a 3.0 cumulative GPA, which is the longest such streak in department history.
"We talk often about maximizing the opportunities right in front of us and this is a testament to the work and investment made by so many across our campus and our athletics department," Baker continued. "I'm excited about the future as we continue to deliver on our commitment to Build Champions and Prepare Leaders as members of the American Athletic Conference."Â
Also set to join The American as soon as 2023 are Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Rice, UAB and UTSA. The new invites join existing members East Carolina, Memphis, Navy (football only), SMU, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, USF, Wichita State.
The American will have a presence in four of the top 10, seven of the top 25 and 12 of the top 51 Nielsen media markets. The league will have four teams in the state of Texas, two each in Florida and North Carolina and one each in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma and Kansas.
UNT has competed as a member of Conference USA since 2013. North Texas was a member of the Sun Belt Conference beginning in 2001.
The American Athletic Conference
Under the leadership of commissioner Mike Aresco, the American Athletic Conference has fashioned an impressive list of accomplishments in the competitive arena, in the classroom and in support of student-athlete welfare. The American is firmly established as a Power 6 conference thanks to its collection of national team and individual championships, football and basketball postseason victories, expansive media rights contract with ESPN, and its commitment to providing the highest levels of support for student-athletes.
The American announced a lucrative and comprehensive media rights extension with ESPN in May of 2019, providing the conference with a stronger and more extensive presence on ESPN's primary television networks (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU). Since the extension took effect in the 2020-21 academic year, a minimum of 40 regular-season football telecasts and 60 regular-season men's basketball games per season will appear on those primary networks. Nearly every conference-controlled game in all sports will appear either on an ESPN network or on ESPN+. The football championship game, all rounds of the men's basketball championship, and multiple rounds of the women's basketball championship, will be on linear ESPN television networks.
The first six American Athletic Conference Football Championships were televised by ABC as part of Championship Saturday. Subsequent championship games will appear on either ABC or ESPN through the duration of the 12-year extension.
American Athletic Conference teams have access to the pinnacle of college football's postseason structure. An American representative would be chosen for the College Football Playoff semifinals if it is among the top four teams in the CFP selection committee's final ranking. Otherwise, the league would place its champion in a New Year's Bowl if it is ranked higher than the champions of Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West Conference and the Sun Belt Conference.
Additionally, The American holds primary or secondary partnerships with an expansive group bowls for the new cycle, which began in 2020, ensuring multiple annual matchups against the nation's top conferences and providing desirable postseason destinations for member institutions.
Away from the competitive arena, The American has established itself as a leader in the area of student-athlete wellness, both through the adoption of NCAA autonomous legislation on matters including full cost of attendance and nutrition. The conference, in conjunction with its Student-Athlete Advisory Committee has also launched the Pow6rful Minds campaign to improve awareness and education on mental issues and recognize the scholarly achievements of the conference's student-athletes.
