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Conference realignment made headlines again as the Pac-12 saw some additions. However, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported the Air Force Falcons and the American Athletic Conference (AAC) are discussing a potential union. This is not the first time that Air Force to AAC has been discussed as former AAC commissioner Mike Aresco had discussions with the school, but they ultimately never came together.
This would be another loss for the Mountain West Conference if it were to happen after seeing the Boise State Broncos, Colorado State Rams, Fresno State Bulldogs and San Diego State Aztecs all announce to leave the MWC for the Pac-12 beginning in 2026. While nothing is set in stone for Air Force to AAC, there is a lot of interesting wrinkles that this signifies.
What would Air Force to AAC mean?
Having Air Force to AAC would mean that the Mountain West Conference could be losing steam. That would be five different programs announcing they are leaving the conference in less than a few weeks, which does not signal strength or unity.
It is also interesting that the Air Force Falcons would be making a lateral move to another Group of Five conference instead of "promoting" to a Power Five conference. This could be the beginning of a Pac-12-like collapse of the Mountain West Conference.
In terms of the AAC, this shows that the conference is looking to bolster up. It is one of the Group of Five conferences that has a serious threat of having a team in the College Football Playoff, as one Group of Five conference champion would automatically qualify.
This would also be the third armed forces school to be part of the AAC as the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen are already members of the conference as well.
What does this mean for the Pac-12 expansion?
While this really does not mean much in the grand scheme of things for the Pac-12 expansion, this could potentially signify that more MWC schools are available if they want to poach more schools. If Air Force to AAC happens, the following schools would be remaining in the conference as of this writing:
- UNLV Rebels
- Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
- Utah State Aggies
- Nevada Wolf Pack
- New Mexico Aggies
- Wyoming Cowboys
- Colorado State Rams
