The 2022 American Athletic Conference football season is the 31st NCAA Division I FBS Football season of the American Athletic Conference (The American). The season is the tenth since the former Big East Conference dissolved and became the American Athletic Conference and the ninth season of the College Football Playoff in place. The American is considered a member of the Group of Five (G5) together with Conference USA, the MAC, Mountain West Conference and the Sun Belt Conference. In September 2021, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF accepted invitations to join the Big 12 Conference. The three schools had been contractually required to remain with The American through 2024, but the conference and its departing members reached a buyout agreement that allowed those schools to leave in 2023.
Preseason
Recruiting classes + Rankings Team ESPN Rivals 24/7Cincinnati 41 42East Carolina 78 84Houston 52 49Memphis 47 62Navy 92 104SMU 85 80South Florida 83 87Temple 108Tulane 68 74Tulsa 111UCF 53 52
American Athletic Conference media day The 2022 American Media day was held virtually on July 28, 2022
Preseason poll The American Athletic Conference preseason media poll was released at AAC Media Day on July 28, 2022.
First place votes in ()
Media poll 1 Houston 243 (7) 2 Cincinnati 242 (10) 3 UCF 225 (7) 4 SMU 187 5 Memphis 162 6 East Carolina 157 7 Tulane 115 8 Tulsa 93 9 South Florida 71 10 Navy 61 11 Temple 28
Award watch lists
Lott Trophy noneDodd Trophy Luke FickellCincinnati HCMaxwell Award Keaton MitchellEast Carolina RB Clayton TuneHouston QB Nathaniel DellHouston WR Tanner MordecaiSMU QB Michael PrattTulane QBDavey O'Brien Award Gerry BohanonSouth Florida QB Tanner MordecaiSMU QB Clayton TuneHouston QBDoak Walker Award Isaiah BowserUCF RB Keaton MitchellEast Carolina RB Johnny RichardsonUCF RB Tyjae SpearsTulane RBBiletnikoff Award Nathaniel DellHouston WR Nick MardnerCincinnati WR Ryan O'KeefeUCF WR Xavier WeaverSouth Florida WRJohn Mackey Award Christian TrahanHouston TE James TyrickTulane TE Josh WhyleCincinnati TE Ryan JonesEast Carolina TE Leonard TaylorCincinnati TE KeMore GambleUCF TERimington Trophy Jacob LikesMemphis C Sincere HaynesworthTulane C Matt LeeUCF CButkus Award Donavan MutinHouston LB Deshawn PaceCincinnati LB Ivan PaceCincinnati LB Isaac Slade-MatautiaSMU LB Dorian WilliamsTulane LBJim Thorpe Award Davonte BrownUCF CB Quindell JohnsonMemphis S Gervarrius OwensHouston S
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Elijah ChatmanSMU DT Antonio GrierSouth Florida LB Quindell JohnsonMemphis S Gervarrius OwensHouston S Deshawn PaceCincinnati LB Ivan PaceCincinnati LB Divaad WilsonUCF SOutland Trophy Elijah ChatmanSMU DT Sincere HaynesworthTulane C Dylan O'QuinnCincinnati OT Patrick PaulHouston OT Lokahi PauoleUCF G Jake RenfroCincinnati CLou Groza Award Ryan CoeCincinnati K Owen DafferEast Carolina K Zack LongTulsa K Spencer ShraderSouth Florida KRay Guy Award Andrew OsteenUCF P Brendan HallSMU P Joe DoyleMemphis P Lachlan WilsonTulsa P Laine WilkinsHouston PPaul Hornung Award Amad AndersonTemple WR Brian BattieSouth Florida RB Maquel HaywoodNavy RB Jha'Quan JacksonTulane WR Bryan MasseySMU S Ryan MontgomeryCincinnati RB Ryan O'KeefeUCF WRWuerffel Trophy Wilson HuberCincinnati LB Holton AhlersEast Carolina QB Donavan MutinHouston LB Quindell JohnsonMemphis S Bijan NicholsNavy K Terrance NewmanSMU DT Isaac MooreTemple OT Nick AndersonTulane LB Davis BrinTulsa QB Isaiah BowserUCF RB Antonio GrierSouth Florida LB
Walter Camp Award Tanner MordecaiSMU QBBednarik Award Deshawn PaceCincinnati LB Gervarrius OwensHouston S Quindell JohnsonMemphis SRotary Lombardi Award Dwayne BoylesSouth Florida LB Elijah ChatmanSMU DT Lorenz MetzCincinnati G Patrick PaulHouston OTPatrick Mannelly Award Alex WardUCF LS Ethan HudakTulane LSEarl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Davis BrinTulsa QB Sincere HaynesworthTulane C Seth HeniganMemphis QB Tanner MordecaiSMU QB Ryan O'KeefeUCF RB Rashee RiceSMU WR JuanCarlos SantanaTulsa WR Clayton TuneHouston QBManning Award Seth HeniganMemphis QB Tanner MordecaiSMU QB Clayton TuneHouston QBPolynesian College Football Player Of The Year Award Tai LavataiNavy QB Lokahi PauoleUCF OL Isaac Slade-MatautiaSMU LBJohnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Holton AhlersEast Carolina QB Gerry BohanonSouth Florida QB Davis BrinTulsa QB D'Wan MathisTemple QB Tanner MordecaiSMU QB Michael PrattTulane QB Clayton TuneHouston QB Ted Hendricks Award
All−American Teams
AP 1st TeamAP 2nd TeamWCFF 1st TeamWCFF 2nd TeamTSN 1st TeamTSN 2nd TeamESPNCBS 1st TeamCBS 2nd TeamCFN 1st TeamCFN 2nd TeamCFN HMPFF 1st TeamPFF 2nd TeamPFF HM
Coaches
Coaching changes The American will enter the 2022 season with two new head football coaches:
November 30, 2021 TCU hired Sonny Dykes of SMU as its new head coach. On November 29 SMU hired Rhett Lashlee formally the Offensive Coordinator at Miami as its new coach. November 29, 2021 Temple head coach Rod Carey was fired after having an 12–20 record in three seasons at Temple, including a 3–9 record in 2021. On December 15, Temple hired Texas associate head coach and run game coordinator Stan Drayton as its new head coach.
Coaches
Head coaching records Team Head coach Years at school Overall record Record at school AAC RecordCincinnati Luke Fickell 6 East Carolina Mike Houston 4 Houston Dana Holgorsen 4 Memphis Ryan Silverfield 3 Navy Ken Niumatalolo 15 SMU Rhett Lashlee 0 South Florida Jeff Scott 3 Temple Stan Drayton 0 Tulane Willie Fritz 7 Tulsa Philip Montgomery 8 UCF Gus Malzahn 2
Note: Records shown after the 2021 season Years at school includes 2022 season Source:American Athletic Conference Coaches. Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved Feb 18, 2021.
Mid-season changes On November 6, South Florida fired head coach Jeff Scott after posting a record of 4–26 during his tenure at the school. South Florida named special teams coordinator Daniel Da Prato as the interim head coach. On December 4, South Florida announced that Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh would become the new head coach for the 2023 season.
Post-season changes On November 27, Luke Fickell was announced as the new head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers of the Big Ten Conference. In the wake of the announcement, Cincinnati named special teams coach Kerry Coombs as the interim head coach for the postseason. On December 5, Cincinnati announced that Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield would become the new head coach of the team for 2023. On November 27, Tulsa announced that it had fired head coach Philip Montgomery. Montgomery had posted a 43–53 record over eight seasons with the school. On December 6, Tulsa announced Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson as the new head coach. On December 11, Navy announced that it would not retain head coach Ken Niumatalolo for 2023, which would have been the last year of his contract. Niumatalolo had gone 109–83 in 15 years at the school, but ended his tenure with three consecutive losing seasons and five losses in the Midshipmen's last seven matchups against Army. Defensive coordinator Brian Newberry was named the interim head coach.
Rankings
+ Legend Improvement in ranking Drop in ranking Not ranked previous week No change in ranking from previous week RV Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll т Tied with team above or below also with this symbol
Pre Wk2 Wk3 Wk4 Wk5 Wk6 Wk7 Wk8 Wk9 Wk10 Wk11 Wk12 Wk13 Wk14 Wk15 FinalCincinnati AP 23 RV RV RV RV 24 21 21 20 RV RV 22 21 RV RV RVC 22 RV RV RV RV RV 21 19 19 RV RV 21 21 RV RV RV CFP Not released 25 24 East Carolina AP RV C RV CFP Not released Houston AP 24 25 C 25 RV RV CFP Not released Memphis AP C CFP Not released Navy AP C CFP Not released SMU AP C RV CFP Not released South Florida AP C CFP Not released Temple AP C CFP Not released Tulane AP RV RV RV 25 23 19 16 21 19 18 14 9C RV RV 25 24 21 17 22 20 18 17 9 CFP Not released 19 17 21 19 18 16 Tulsa AP C CFP Not released UCF AP RV RV RV 25 22 17 25 22 RV C RV RV RV RV RV RV 25 21 18 RV 23 RV RV CFP Not released 25 22 20 22 22
Schedule The 2022 American Athletic Conference football schedule was released on February 17, 2022. The regular season begins on Thursday September 1, 2022 and will end on Saturday December 15, 2022. The American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game is scheduled to be played on Saturday December 3, 2022 at the site of the regular season champion.
Index to colors and formattingAAC member wonAAC member lostAAC teams in bold All times Eastern time.
Regular season schedule
Week one
Week two
Week three
Date Bye Week September 17 Navy
Week four
Week five
Date Bye Week October 1 SMU UCF
Week six
Date Bye Week October 8 Temple
Week seven
Date Bye Week October 15 No. 21 Cincinnati Houston Tulsa
Week eight
Date Bye Week October 22 South Florida
Week nine
Date Bye Week October 29 Memphis No. 23 Tulane
Week ten
Date Bye Week November 5 East Carolina
Week eleven
Week twelve
Week thirteen
Date Bye Week November 26 Navy
Championship Game
Week fifteen
The American vs other conferences
AAC vs Power Five matchups The following games include AAC teams competing against Power Five conferences teams from the (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, BYU/Notre Dame, Pac-12, and SEC). All rankings are from the AP Poll at the time of the game.
Date Conference Visitor Home Site Score September 2 ACC Temple Duke Wallace Wade Stadium • Durham, NC L 0–30 September 3 SEC No. 23 Cincinnati No. 19 Arkansas Donald W. Reynolds Stadium • Fayetteville, AR L 24–31 September 3 ACC No. 13 NC State East Carolina Dowdy-Ficklin Stadium • Greenville, NC L 20–21 September 3 SEC Memphis Mississippi State Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, MS L 23–49 September 3 Independent No. 25 BYU South Florida Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL L 21–50 September 9 ACC Louisville UCF FBC Mortgage Stadium • Orlando, FL L 14–20 September 10 Big 12 No. 25 Houston Texas Tech Jones AT&T Stadium • Lubbock, TX L 30–33 September 17 Big 12 Kansas Houston TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX L 30–48 September 17 Big Ten SMU Maryland Maryland Stadium • College Park, MD L 27–34 September 17 SEC South Florida Florida Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, FL L 28–31 September 17 Big Ten Rutgers Temple Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA L 14–16 September 17 Big 12 Tulane Kansas State Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium • Manhattan, KS W 17–10 September 24 Big Ten Indiana Cincinnati Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH W 45–24 September 24 Big 12 TCU SMU Gerald R. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX L 34–42 September 24 ACC South Florida Louisville Cardinal Stadium • Louisville, KY L 3–41 September 24 SEC Tulsa No. 16 Ole Miss Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS L 27–35 September 24 ACC Georgia Tech UCF FBC Mortgage Stadium • Orlando, FL W 27–10 October 29 Independent East Carolina BYU LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, UT W 27–24 November 12 Independent Notre Dame Navy M&T Bank Stadium • Baltimore, MD† L 32–35
AAC vs Group of Five matchups The following games include AAC teams competing against "Group of Five" teams from C-USA, MAC, Mountain West and Sun Belt.