If you’re having bother maintaining with how faculty athletic conferences are altering, you’re not alone. Conferences throughout the nation are realigning in search of profitable soccer payouts, and several other conferences could have a special look this fall.
After saying a soar to the American Athletic Conference in 2021, UTSA will play its first season in its new league this fall. Going into the 2023 season, the American is made up of 14 faculties plus the U.S. Naval Academy, which is a football-only member.
UTSA was joined by the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB), University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Florida Atlantic University, University of North Texas and Rice University in departing Conference USA for the American on July 1. These six groups changed the University of Cincinnati, Houston and University of Central Florida, faculties that left the American to be part of the Big 12 additionally on July 1.
A month after the season opener on Sept. 2 at the University of Houston, the Roadrunners will face the Temple Owls as their first American Athletic Conference opponent.
The following is a information to the Roadrunners’ new conference foes, listed in the order in which UTSA will play them:
Temple Owls
Game Scheduled: Oct. 7 in Philadelphia
Temple performs its video games at Lincoln Financial Field, the place the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles additionally play. The Owls have had distinguished coaches in their historical past, most notably famed coach Pop Warner in the Nineteen Thirties. UTSA’s go to to Temple will mark the first sport UTSA has ever performed in Pennsylvania.
School based: 1884
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
First yr of soccer: 1894
University of Alabama Birmingham Blazers
Game Scheduled: Oct. 14 in San Antonio
Like UTSA, UAB was created in June 1969. The Blazers and Roadrunners turned conference foes when UTSA joined Conference USA in 2013. Now they are going to be collectively in the AAC. UTSA and UAB first performed one another in 2014. From 2015-16 UAB didn’t subject a soccer crew. UAB leads the all-time sequence with UTSA 4-3, however the Roadrunners have gained the final two conferences.
School based: 1969
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
First yr of soccer: 1991
Florida Atlantic University Owls
Game Scheduled: Oct. 21 in Boca Raton
Florida Atlantic performed as a Football Championship Subdivision impartial from 2001 to 2004. The Owls turned a part of the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2005 after they joined the Sun Belt Conference. Florida Atlantic and UTSA turned members of the identical conference in 2013 when each joined Conference USA. The Owls and Roadrunners have performed thrice, with the Owls successful all three.
School based: 1961
Location: Boca Raton, Florida
First yr of soccer: 2001
East Carolina University Pirates
Game Scheduled: Oct. 28 in San Antonio
East Carolina has been a member of the American since 2014. The Pirates have been members of Conference USA from 1997 to 2013. UTSA and ECU have been conference mates in 2013 however didn’t play one another that season. A notable alumnus of East Carolina is Chris Johnson, who ran for two,000 yards for the Tennessee Titans in 2009.
School based: 1907
Location: Greenville, North Carolina
First yr of soccer: 1932
University of North Texas Mean Green
Game Scheduled: Nov. 4 in Denton
UTSA and North Texas turned rivals throughout their decade collectively in Conference USA and that can carry over into the American. UTSA leads the sequence towards North Texas 6-5. The two final met in the Conference USA championship sport final season with UTSA successful 48-27. The Roadrunners haven’t gained in Denton since the first assembly between the two faculties in 2013.
School based: 1890
Location: Denton, Texas
First yr of soccer: 1913
Rice Owls
Game Scheduled: Nov. 11 in San Antonio
Rice was as soon as an influence in the Southwest Conference. One of the Owls’ early coaches was John Heisman, the man for whom the Heisman Trophy is known as. When the Southwest Conference collapsed after the 1995 season, the Owls went to the Western Athletic Conference from 1996 to 2004. Between 2005 and 2022 the Owls have been members of Conference USA. UTSA and Rice first performed one another in 2012 and have become conference foes when UTSA joined Conference USA in 2013. Rice and UTSA are scheduled to play one another yearly for the subsequent few years.
School based: 1912
Location: Houston, Texas
First yr of soccer: 1912
University of South Florida Bulls
Game Scheduled: Nov. 17 in San Antonio
South Florida held the NCAA file for largest crowd to attend a faculty’s inaugural soccer sport till UTSA had 56,743 at its inaugural sport in 2011. The Bulls rose shortly as soon as they began soccer. In 2005, South Florida joined the Big East Conference. Two years later, in 2007 the Bulls have been ranked No. 2 in the nation throughout the season. Recently the Bulls haven’t had the lofty success of their early years. South Florida has solely gained 4 video games in the first three seasons of the 2020s. The Bulls play their house video games at Raymond James Stadium, house of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
School based: 1956
Location: Tampa, Florida
First yr of soccer: 1997
Tulane University Green Wave
Game Date TBD: Nov. 24 or 25 in New Orleans
Tulane was a founding member of the Southeastern Conference in 1933 and performed in that conference till 1965. The Green Wave didn’t be part of one other conference till they helped discovered Conference USA in 1996. Tulane and UTSA have been each in C-USA for one season and performed one another in the Alamodome in 2013. Tulane has been a member of the American since 2014. The actual date of UTSA’s sport at Tulane will probably be introduced in October.
School based: 1834
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
First yr of soccer: 1893
University of Memphis Tigers
Game Date TBD: 2024 in San Antonio
Memphis was a founding member of the American in 2013. The Tigers and Roadrunners met as non-conference opponents in Memphis in 2021. UTSA got here from down 21-0 to beat the Tigers 31-28. A notable former Tiger is Pro Football Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce. Bruce was a receiver for the St. Louis Rams in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
School based: 1912
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
First yr of soccer: 1912
University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Game Date TBD: 2024 in Tulsa
Tulsa has the smallest enrollment of any college in the Football Bowl Subdivision with simply 3,740 college students. The Golden Hurricane has been a member of the American since 2014. Prior to that the college was a member of Conference USA. UTSA and Tulsa performed one another in soccer in 2013. UTSA gained that sport 34-15 in Tulsa.
School based: 1894
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
First yr of soccer: 1895
U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen
Game Date TBD: 2024 in Annapolis
The Naval Academy has performed soccer for practically a century and a half however didn’t play in a conference till becoming a member of the American in 2015. Football is the solely Navy sport that competes in the American. For different sports activities, the Midshipmen are members of the Patriot League. UTSA is scheduled to play Navy subsequent season in what will probably be solely the second sport towards a service academy.
School based: 1845
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
First yr of soccer: 1879
Southern Methodist University Mustangs
Game Date TBD: 2025 in San Antonio
SMU was as soon as a member of the Southwest Conference. The Mustangs have gained three nationwide championships. Doak Walker gained the Heisman Trophy for SMU in 1948. In the Nineteen Eighties, SMU turned the solely soccer program to be compelled to cease taking part in due to repeated NCAA guidelines violations. The so-called “death penalty” resulted in SMU not fielding a crew in 1987 and 1988. SMU was a founding member of the American in 2013.
School based: 1911
Location: Dallas, Texas
First yr of soccer: 1915
UNC-Charlotte 49ers
Game Date TBD: 2025 in Charlotte
Charlotte performed soccer from 1946-48 when the crew was often called the Owls. The program was discontinued and didn’t return till 2013. By that point the college had lengthy since adopted the 49ers nickname. Charlotte soccer joined Conference USA in 2015. UTSA and Charlotte performed one another in 2015 and 2016. The Roadrunners gained each video games, 30-27 in Charlotte in 2015 and 33-14 in San Antonio in 2016. UTSA’s win in 2016 helped the Roadrunners clinch their first bowl berth in program historical past.
School based: 1946
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
First yr of soccer: 2013 (additionally performed soccer from 1946-48)
