Army West Point Athletics
A Letter from Superintendent LTG Steve Gilland and AD Mike Buddie on Joining the AAC in Football
October 25, 2023 | Football
To the Long Gray Line and our dedicated Army fans,
We are excited to announce that beginning in 2024, the Army West Point football team will be a proud member of the American Athletic Conference (AAC). We are thrilled to compete with so many great institutions and programs who are committed to educating and developing young people both in the classroom and on the gridiron.
As the college football environment continues to evolve, conference membership is critical to future success. Conference membership allows us to address the challenges of scheduling, increases bowl game opportunities, and provides access to the expanding College Football Playoff (CFP) as well as the revenues that accompany the expansion. Additionally, AAC membership increases both USMA's and the Army's exposure in key priority recruiting markets. We feel these, along with other benefits, outweigh the benefits of being an independent team.
We made this decision deliberately and thoughtfully, consulting at length with constituents both inside and outside of the Academy. This move supports both Academy and Army West Point Athletics' priorities and will ultimately enhance our mission of developing leaders of character while better connecting us with America in our continuing efforts to inspire and recruit future Cadets and Soldiers.
This move is exclusive to the football team and does not impact our other intercollegiate athletics teams. It also does not impact the traditional Commander-in-Chief rivalries in any way. In keeping with our time-honored traditions, we will continue to battle our sister academies in early November and mid-December, while also competing for AAC Championships, bowl games, and the CFP.
We thank Mike Aresco and the AAC members for their efforts to make this an easy decision. We also appreciate the flexibility and understanding of our scheduled opponents who are allowing us the opportunity to do what is best for our program, and we eagerly await forming new rivalries and traditions in the AAC.
As we continually evolve Army West Point Athletics, our facilities, and our Academy, the support and passion of our loyal fanbase will remain the foundation of our efforts.
We are excited to announce that beginning in 2024, the Army West Point football team will be a proud member of the American Athletic Conference (AAC). We are thrilled to compete with so many great institutions and programs who are committed to educating and developing young people both in the classroom and on the gridiron.
As the college football environment continues to evolve, conference membership is critical to future success. Conference membership allows us to address the challenges of scheduling, increases bowl game opportunities, and provides access to the expanding College Football Playoff (CFP) as well as the revenues that accompany the expansion. Additionally, AAC membership increases both USMA's and the Army's exposure in key priority recruiting markets. We feel these, along with other benefits, outweigh the benefits of being an independent team.
We made this decision deliberately and thoughtfully, consulting at length with constituents both inside and outside of the Academy. This move supports both Academy and Army West Point Athletics' priorities and will ultimately enhance our mission of developing leaders of character while better connecting us with America in our continuing efforts to inspire and recruit future Cadets and Soldiers.
This move is exclusive to the football team and does not impact our other intercollegiate athletics teams. It also does not impact the traditional Commander-in-Chief rivalries in any way. In keeping with our time-honored traditions, we will continue to battle our sister academies in early November and mid-December, while also competing for AAC Championships, bowl games, and the CFP.
We thank Mike Aresco and the AAC members for their efforts to make this an easy decision. We also appreciate the flexibility and understanding of our scheduled opponents who are allowing us the opportunity to do what is best for our program, and we eagerly await forming new rivalries and traditions in the AAC.
As we continually evolve Army West Point Athletics, our facilities, and our Academy, the support and passion of our loyal fanbase will remain the foundation of our efforts.
LTG Steve Gilland Mike Buddie
Superintendent, USMA Director of Athletics
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