On the same day SMU was accepted into the ACC, news broke that the American Athletic Conference was no longer exploring the possibility of adding Washington State or Oregon State. Instead, the AAC began looking to Army as the next team to join the league.
The AAC’s presidents voted in 2023 to accept Army as a football-only member beginning this season.
Here’s a look at what that means for Army, the AAC, and college football at the FBS level.
What Conference Was Army In?
Army is an independent program and currently doesn’t belong to any conference, which makes the move to the AAC easier.
Army has been mostly independent since it began playing football in the late 1800s. The program played in Conference USA from 1998 to 2004 but has been independent since 2005.
Army went 6-6 in 2023, finishing the season with a victory over Navy to win the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.
Army-AAC Football Arrangement
The AAC presidents and athletic directors clearly favored adding Army over any other program, according to ESPN. So AAC commissioner Mike Aresco began looking into the possibility and reportedly started communicating with Army athletic director Mike Buddie about the matter.
The AAC will now be at 14 teams in 2024 with SMU leaving for the ACC.
Army Head Coach Jeff Monken’s Contract
Army and head coach Jeff Monken agreed to an extension, according to ESPN, which would pay him $2 million per year on average. That new deal would expire after the 2027 season.
Army may have wanted to secure its future at the program’s head coaching position before making a decision regarding the AAC.
What Is Army’s Record Against The AAC Conference?
Army is 85-103-9 against teams which are in the AAC.
Army Head Football Coach Jeff Monken’s Record
Jeff Monken is 70-55 overall and 4-1 in bowl games as Army’s head coach after the 2023 season. The Black Knights have been .500 or better the past four years.
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Army-Navy Football Game’s Future
Army has made it clear that it wants to keep its matchup with Navy at the end of the college football season, after conference championship games.
That means, even with Army and Navy playing in the AAC, their rivalry game would be a non-conference contest. That also means Army and Navy could play in the AAC Championship and then play again right after that.
What Is Army’s Record Against Navy?
Army is 55-62-7 against Navy, according to Army’s website. That rivalry game has been played since 1890, so continuing that matchup will be paramount to both programs.
Army Could Benefit From AAC Media Deal
ESPN and the AAC agreed to a 12-year media contract beginning in 2019 worth about $1 billion, according to USA Today.
The arrangement was to pay each program nearly $7 million per year when it was made but increased over time. SMU reportedly earned about $8.2 million in 2022, for example.
NCAA To Pay College Football Players
The NCAA, along with the Power Five leagues, earlier this year to let schools pay athletes directly.
This is in the wake of the NCAA’s settlement in federal antitrust cases which will lead to former college athletes being paid after they weren’t able to profit off of their names, images, and likenesses while in college. This will reportedly result in the governing body of college sports paying about $2.7 billion over 10 years to past and current athletes, per ESPN.
The NCAA will pay for nearly half of it. Of that remaining half, 60% will be paid by non-Power Five conferences and their programs.
