Get to know UTSA’s new conference opponents in the AAC

If you’re having trouble keeping up with how college athletic conferences are changing, you’re not alone. Conferences across the country are realigning in search of lucrative football payouts, and several conferences will have a different look this fall.

After announcing a jump 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 schools 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 teams replaced the University of Cincinnati, Houston and University of Central Florida, schools that left the American to join the Big 12 also 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 guide 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 plays its games at Lincoln Financial Field, where the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles also play. The Owls have had prominent coaches in their history, most notably famed coach Pop Warner in the 1930s. UTSA’s visit to Temple will mark the first game UTSA has ever played in Pennsylvania.

University of Alabama Birmingham Blazers

Florida Atlantic University Owls

Game Scheduled: Oct. 21 in Boca Raton

Florida Atlantic played as a Football Championship Subdivision independent from 2001 to 2004. The Owls became part of the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2005 when they joined the Sun Belt Conference. Florida Atlantic and UTSA became members of the same conference in 2013 when both joined Conference USA. The Owls and Roadrunners have played three times, with the Owls winning all three. 

School founded: 1961
Location: Boca Raton, Florida
First year of football: 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 were members of Conference USA from 1997 to 2013. UTSA and ECU were conference mates in 2013 but did not play each other that season. A notable alumnus of East Carolina is Chris Johnson, who ran for 2,000 yards for the Tennessee Titans in 2009.

School founded: 1907
Location: Greenville, North Carolina
First year of football: 1932

University of North Texas Mean Green

Game Scheduled: Nov. 4 in Denton

UTSA and North Texas became rivals during their decade together in Conference USA and that will carry over into the American. UTSA leads the series against North Texas 6-5. The two last met in the Conference USA championship game last season with UTSA winning 48-27. The Roadrunners have not won in Denton since the first meeting between the two schools in 2013.

School founded: 1890
Location: Denton, Texas
First year of football: 1913

Rice Owls

Game Scheduled: Nov. 11 in San Antonio

Rice was once a power in the Southwest Conference. One of the Owls’ early coaches was John Heisman, the man for whom the Heisman Trophy is named. 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 were members of Conference USA. UTSA and Rice first played each other in 2012 and became conference foes when UTSA joined Conference USA in 2013. Rice and UTSA are scheduled to play each other every year for the next few years.

School founded: 1912
Location: Houston, Texas
First year of football: 1912

University of South Florida Bulls

Game Scheduled: Nov. 17 in San Antonio

South Florida held the NCAA record for largest crowd to attend a school’s inaugural football game until UTSA had 56,743 at its inaugural game in 2011. The Bulls rose quickly once they started football. In 2005, South Florida joined the Big East Conference. Two years later, in 2007 the Bulls were ranked No. 2 in the country during the season. Recently the Bulls have not had the lofty success of their early years. South Florida has only won four games in the first three seasons of the 2020s. The Bulls play their home games at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

School founded: 1956
Location: Tampa, Florida
First year of football: 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 played in that conference until 1965. The Green Wave didn’t join another conference until they helped found Conference USA in 1996. Tulane and UTSA were both in C-USA for one season and played each other in the Alamodome in 2013. Tulane has been a member of the American since 2014. The exact date of UTSA’s game at Tulane will be announced in October.

School founded: 1834
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
First year of football: 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 came 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 founded: 1912
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
First year of football: 1912

University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane

Game Date TBD: 2024 in Tulsa

Tulsa has the smallest enrollment of any school in the Football Bowl Subdivision with just 3,740 students. The Golden Hurricane has been a member of the American since 2014. Prior to that the school was a member of Conference USA. UTSA and Tulsa played each other in football in 2013. UTSA won that game 34-15 in Tulsa. 

School founded: 1894
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
First year of football: 1895

U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen

Game Date TBD: 2024 in Annapolis

The Naval Academy has played football for nearly a century and a half but didn’t play in a conference until joining the American in 2015. Football is the only Navy sport that competes in the American. For other sports, the Midshipmen are members of the Patriot League. UTSA is scheduled to play Navy next season in what will be only the second game against a service academy.

School founded: 1845
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
First year of football: 1879

Southern Methodist University Mustangs

Game Date TBD: 2025 in San Antonio

SMU was once a member of the Southwest Conference. The Mustangs have won three national championships. Doak Walker won the Heisman Trophy for SMU in 1948. In the 1980s, SMU became the only football program to be forced to stop playing because of repeated NCAA rules violations. The so-called “death penalty” resulted in SMU not fielding a team in 1987 and 1988. SMU was a founding member of the American in 2013. 

School founded: 1911
Location: Dallas, Texas
First year of football: 1915

UNC-Charlotte 49ers

Game Date TBD: 2025 in Charlotte

Charlotte played football from 1946-48 when the team was known as the Owls. The program was discontinued and didn’t return until 2013. By that time the school had long since adopted the 49ers nickname. Charlotte football joined Conference USA in 2015. UTSA and Charlotte played each other in 2015 and 2016. The Roadrunners won both 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 history.

School founded: 1946
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
First year of football: 2013 (also played football from 1946-48)