Here are the highlights of Pernetti\u2019s time at the podium in Charlotte:<\/p>\n
Out with the AAC, in with the American<\/p>\n
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American commissioner Tim Pernetti showcases the league\u2019s new mascot, Soar the Eagle.<\/p>\n
Steve Helwick<\/p>\n
The American Athletic Conference was established in 2013 from the remnants of the Big East, comprised of a unique mixture of former Big East institutions as well as additions from Conference USA. However, the American Athletic Conference \u2014 often referred to as the AAC \u2014 is officially no more.<\/p>\n
On Monday, July 21, the conference officially rebranded to the \u201cAmerican Conference,\u201d dropping the \u201cAthletic\u201d and the associated \u201cAAC\u201d acronym.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not trying to be fancy. We\u2019re not trying to be slick. It\u2019s a simplified name \u2014 American Conference \u2014 a name our fans and the media have been using for years, and we\u2019re gonna proudly own it now,\u201d Pernetti said. \u201cWe\u2019ve sunset \u2018American Athletic Conference\u2019 and the \u2018AAC\u2019 acronym to eliminate confusion, sharpen our voice, and ensure consistent recognition.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pernetti discussed how the rebrand took the college football world by storm all week. He cited that the American\u2019s brand modernization spurred 1,600 media stories and mentions, racked up an estimated 3.5 million views, and most notably, generated almost $10 million in earned media advertising value.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an intentional, strategic evolution of who we are and what differentiates us and creates a pathway to commercial growth, bigger national presence and increasing our competitive position,\u201d Pernetti said.<\/p>\n
The rebrand included a new conference tagline, \u201cBuilt to Rise,\u201d and the unveiling of a mascot Soar the Eagle \u2014 which drew plenty of online buzz earlier in the week. The mascot costume remains in the development stages, but the Soar the Eagle is the first official conference-wide mascot in college athletics.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we first explored the idea of a mascot symbol for the American, I was skeptical,\u201d Pernetti said. \u201cThere were some arguments, there was some knuckle-fighting, there were some screaming matches. We talked about symbols that were uniquely American and nothing measured up to the bald eagle. Soar went from this idea to a commercial asset to a content creator to a community leader. Soar is the first-ever conference brand ambassador. We\u2019re the first conference to pioneer a new model of conference branding that leverages intellectual property.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fixing the financials of college athletics<\/p>\n
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The 2024 Army-Navy Game between two American Conference members drew 9.4 million viewers, the game\u2019s most since 1990.<\/p>\n
Danny Wild-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
With each passing year, the dollar sign means more and more in college athletics. Conference media deals and NIL have been especially hot topics throughout the last four years, but now with the House v. NCAA settlement, the financials of college athletics become even more complicated.<\/p>\n
Colleges can now directly pay student-athletes for the first time ever, and for the 2025-26 academic year, each NCAA institution is capped at $20.5 million in revenue sharing. The American Conference is the first league to implement a spending floor when it comes to revenue sharing, requiring each member institution to distribute $10 million to student-athletes across the next three years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe American was the first conference to implement a league-wide minimum investment in member revenue protocol, ensuring our student-athletes across all 15 institutions (Wichita State, which doesn\u2019t sponsor football, is the 15th member) are supported equitably,\u201d Pernetti said. \u201cWe also introduced a new performance based revenue distribution model to reward competitive success in football and basketball and reward aggressive non-conference scheduling.\u201d<\/p>\n
With revenue sharing on its way, athletic departments are seeking increased revenue to afford payments to student-athletes. Pernetti presented one bold idea to transform revenue \u2014 not just for the American Conference, but the FBS as a whole \u2014 and that involves a single-unified media rights deal, similar to the media rights deals of the NFL and NBA. There are a slew of legislative hurdles associated with unifying media rights, but Pernetti wants this idea on the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe industry needs revenue, let\u2019s add and get on offense, turning campus-wide challenges into growth opportunities,\u201d Pernetti said. \u201cNo single conference or private capital firm can match the upside of collective action. A common-sense solution is to unify media rights across FBS, like the pro leagues, we can dramatically increase total revenue and create a financially sustainable model.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pernetti argues that unifying a media rights deal benefits all FBS institutions, lifting the revenue of smallest earners while still compensating the highest earners for their contributions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pie can be so much bigger for all our institutions,\u201d Pernetti said. \u201cIn the American, we\u2019re not trying to eat off any other conference\u2019s plate. We believe that the autonomy four (referring to the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, and SEC) deserve more revenue given the value they bring in television viewership, attendance, sponsorship and more. But I\u2019ve seen the potential upside of consolidation. I\u2019ve seen the numbers, they are backed by data. Revenues can triple.\u201d<\/p>\n
Transforming the transfer portal<\/p>\n
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Army faced Louisiana Tech in the 2024 Independence Bowl because Marshall opted out due to a lack of available players.<\/p>\n
Danny Wild-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
Of the 55 players selected to the All-American Conference First and Second Teams, only nine return to their programs for 2025. Meanwhile, 13 are transferring elsewhere, making the all-conference teams essentially a shopping list for big-money programs in the transfer portal.<\/p>\n
The portal works both ways. The American benefits from it, but it also greatly suffers from its existence. It works hand-in-hand with NIL, causing players to frequently leave the conference for more lucrative checks elsewhere. Pernetti spoke against the current transfer portal system, preferring a more stable environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe current structure is a threat to the game, to team culture, to coaches building programs and student-athletes as constant motion de-emphasizes commitment and the true benefits of collegiate athletics,\u201d Pernetti said.<\/p>\n
Perhaps there\u2019s no better example of the transfer portal\u2019s shortcomings than the axed 2024 Independence Bowl between Army and Marshall. Sun Belt champion Marshall became the first program to ever opt out of a bowl game due to the portal, as 29 roster members entered the week of Dec. 9 \u2014 when the portal first opened. Army was left without an opponent, although 5-7 Louisiana Tech filled the void and ultimately battled the Black Knights in Shreveport.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of playing another league champion in a bowl game, Marshall reneged on their commitment to play citing an inadequate roster due to the transfers during the December portal window,\u201d Pernetti said. \u201cA transfer portal window between the end of the regular season and bowl games? What the hell are we doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
Pernetti\u2019s solution to transfer portal chaos? Revert back to the one-time transfer rule which was in place from April 2021 to April 2024, which allowed undergraduate athletes to transfer once without the penalty of sitting out an entire season. While the previous policy restricted undergraduate transfers, graduate transfers were free to relocate as often as they wanted.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need one portal window at the appropriate time of the year,\u201d Pernetti said. \u201cStudent-athletes should absolutely have the opportunity to transfer one time freely. Coaches change, family situations change, it\u2019s reasonable. But any transfer beyond that should perhaps require a year in waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Memphis attempts to join Big 12<\/p>\n
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Memphis, fresh off defeating a Big 12 opponent for the second-straight season, attempted to join the Big 12 at a $200 million price tag, but the offer was denied.<\/p>\n
Tim Heitman-Imagn Images<\/p>\n