The American Athletic Conference announced its scheduling model for the 2020 season, allowing its members to play up to 12 games if they so choose. The league will play all eight of its conference games this season beginning in the traditional Week 3 on Sept. 19. Its members can schedule as many as four nonconference opponents if possible starting as early as Week 0, where there are games currently scheduled at this time.
"It's eight plus -- up to -- four," one AAC athletic director told CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd. "It's whatever institutions can do that's what we'll do. We know it may not be equitable. We want to give the discretion to each institution rather than standardize it."
The league made the news official on Wednesday afternoon, confirming that the eight conference games per team will remain on the schedule slotted in their current dates. The AAC Championship Game will be played on either Dec. 5, 12 or 19 at the stadium of the regular-season champion, with a decision on the date of the championship game made no earlier than Nov. 1. League sources told Dennis Dodd that the game would not be held on Dec. 12 should Navy be eligible for the title game, as it is the current scheduled date of the Army-Navy name.
There will be tiebreakers in place if AAC members are unable to play all eight conference games.
How the AAC's members will fill out the remainder of their fall slates remains to be seen at this time as a number of scheduled games against Power Five opponents have been canceled based on decisions made by those leagues.
For example, SMU is still seeking to play its highest-profile nonconference game at home against TCU on Sept. 26. The game is scheduled to be played at SMU; however, the Big 12 has mandated its one nonconference game be a home game for its member schools. SMU has offered to drive across town to make that game happen. Discussions were still going on as of Wednesday.
"The health and safety of our student-athletes is our top priority as we face the challenges of the current global pandemic," AAC commissioner Mike Aresco said. "With the guidance and advice of our Medical Advisory Group, which has done an outstanding job developing health and safety protocols, we have developed a collaborative and comprehensive plan that will allow us safely and reasonably to play our fall sports. Our plan provides us with the flexibility to adapt to potential disruptions to our schedules. I want to thank our board of directors, our Medical Advisory Group, athletic directors, senior woman administrators and conference office staff for their thoughtful input and approach to what is one of the most challenging situations we will face."
Check out the full 2020 American Athletic Conference league schedule below:
Week 3 (Sept. 19)
Houston at Memphis
Navy at Tulane
Week 4 (Sept. 24-26)
UCF at East Carolina (Thursday)
Temple at Navy
Week 5 (Oct. 1-3)
Memphis at SMU (Thursday)
Tulsa at UCF
USF at Cincinnati
Week 6 (Oct. 8-10)
Tulane at Houston (Thursday)
East Carolina at USF
Week 7 (Oct. 16-17)
UCF at Memphis (Friday)
Cincinnati at Tulsa
Navy at East Carolina
USF at Temple
SMU at Tulane
Week 8 (Oct. 23-24)
Tulsa at USF (Friday)
Tulane at UCF
Cincinnati at SMU
Houston at Navy
Temple at Memphis
Week 9 (Oct. 30-31)
East Carolina at Tulsa (Friday)
UCF at Houston
Memphis at Cincinnati
Navy at SMU
Temple at Tulane
Week 10 (Nov. 5-7)
SMU at Temple (Thursday)
Houston at Cincinnati
Tulane at East Carolina
USF at Memphis
Tulsa at Navy
Week 11 (Nov. 12-14)
East Carolina at Cincinnati (Thursday)
Temple at UCF
USF at Houston
Memphis at Navy
SMU at Tulsa
Week 12 (Nov. 21)
Cincinnati at UCF
East Carolina at Temple
Houston at SMU
Navy at USF
Tulane at Tulsa
Week 13 (Nov. 27-28)
UCF at USF (Friday)
Cincinnati at Temple
SMU at East Carolina
Tulsa at Houston
Memphis at Tulane
