As part of its 2022–23 men’s basketball preseason coverage, Sports Illustrated is rolling out previews for each of the top 10 conferences. Next up is the American.
This is the last year of the AAC as presently constructed. Big changes are on the horizon with Houston, Cincinnati and UCF on the way out following the academic year and six newcomers, all from Conference USA, on the way to replace them. That looming move will have massive impacts on how this league is viewed moving forward in the greater landscape, especially considering just how good Houston has been lately.
But while the long-term outlook for the AAC isn’t overly rosy, there are plenty of reasons to be excited for this season. The Cougars should be elite again, Memphis isn’t going anywhere, Cincinnati could be in for a breakthrough, and Tulane and Temple could have the best teams they’ve had in awhile. All that is a recipe for a fun final year of the AAC in this form.
