There are five power conferences in college football, and the American isn’t one of them. Those five leagues each have their own guaranteed tie-ins to New Year’s Six bowls, while the American tussles for one spot with the Mountain West, MAC, Conference USA and Sun Belt. That’s just the reality of college football.
It hasn’t stopped the AAC from trying to change the reality, though.
The league’s media days are underway in Newport, R.I., Monday, and the league has opted to use its public relations extravaganza to make its “Power 6" push official.
Note the hashtags.
It's all coming together. #AmericanPow6r pic.twitter.com/AJBaglulP3
— American Football (@American_FB) July 17, 2017
As they players enjoy the 📸 shoot, @CoachFick is making the rounds with the media. #AmericanPow6r pic.twitter.com/svG4Lb58Lj
— Cincinnati Football (@GoBearcatsFB) July 17, 2017
And nothing says official like a golf ball, right?
Our school administrators, conference staff, bowl partners and television partners enjoy a round at the Newport National Golf Club ⛳️. pic.twitter.com/tk4xd7oXvW
— American Football (@American_FB) July 17, 2017
This all-too-public push has the potential to backfire on the conference in the inevitable event that the Peach, Cotton or Fiesta bowls do not extend yearly, guaranteed invites to the American. (The Rose, Sugar and Orange spots are all taken.)
Then again, if the conference wants to change its station in life, why not push for it? Ask and ye shall receive, right? Didn’t LaVar Ball teach us that if you want your impossible dreams to become real you have to speak them into existence?
Central Florida and Houston have won BCS or New Year’s Six bowl games in the past four seasons. Cincinnati, Navy and Tulsa have been as consistent winners as anyone else in their weight class. SMU has had its moment in the sun and is rising under Chad Morris. Temple nearly took down a good Notre Dame team two years ago, the same season Memphis beat Ole Miss. South Florida enters the fall as likely the odds-on favorite to snare the Group of 5 this season.
The football in the American is good, but, still, it’s hard to argue the AAC is on par with the Power 5 when a third of the conference has watched its coaching roster leave for Power 5 jobs in the past two years. The American, through new hashtags and logos, is going to make that argument.