PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The American Athletic Conference has announced a number of kickoff times and television designations for the 2018 football season.
Thursday’s announcement includes the kickoff times for much of The American’s Thursday and Friday prime time games on ESPN networks. The prime time package begins Thursday, Aug. 30, as UCF brings a 13-game winning streak into the season-opener at UConn on ESPNU. The prime time matchups continues the following week as SMU hosts TCU Sept. 7 on ESPN2.
The early schedule is highlighted by a Sept. 8 nonconference game on ABC and ESPN2 as Houston hosts Arizona.
The American and CBS Sports also announced the times of 10 games that will be televised on CBS Sports Network, beginning with an Opening Night matchup between Tulane and Wake Forest Aug. 30 in New Orleans. The schedule on CBS Sports Network includes all five of Navy’s games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, as well as a number of key conference and nonconference games in the 2018 season.
Most of the remaining start times and television designations for the 2018 season will be made on a weekly basis through the season as part of the conference’s 12-day selection process. The most up-to-date schedule, with television designations, is available at TheAmerican.org.
The American Athletic Conference enjoyed yet another banner year in 2017. UCF capped a 13-0 season with a win against Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, becoming the first FBS team in four years to finish without a loss and finishing No. 6 in the final Associated Press poll. The American placed three teams (UCF, USF, Memphis) in the final Associated Press and USA Today polls, sent seven of its 12 teams to bowl games (compiling a 3-1 record against other Power 6 opponents) and produced two NCAA consensus All-America selections (Houston DT Ed Oliver and Memphis WR Anthony Miller). The American joined the Big Ten and the Big 12 as the only conferences that have had at least three 10-win teams in each of the last two seasons.
The American will be the only FBS conference in 2018 to return its conference players of the year on offense (UCF QB McKenzie Milton), defense (Houston DT Ed Oliver) and special teams (Memphis WR Tony Pollard).
2018 American Athletic Conference Football Schedule/Television Update
| Date |
Game |
Time (ET) |
Television |
| Thursday, August 30 |
UCF at UConn * |
7 p.m |
ESPNU |
|
Wake Forest at Tulane |
8 p.m. |
CBS Sports Network |
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, September 1 |
Houston at Rice |
Noon |
CBS Sports Network |
|
Villanova at Temple |
Noon |
ESPNews |
|
North Carolina A&T at ECU |
6 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
|
Elon at USF |
6 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
|
Cincinnati at UCLA |
7 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
Mercer at Memphis |
7 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
|
Central Arkansas at Tulsa |
7 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
|
Navy at Hawaii |
11 p.m. |
CBS Sports Network |
|
|
|
|
| Friday, September 7 |
TCU at SMU |
8 p.m. |
ESPN2 |
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, September 8 |
Arizona at Houston |
Noon |
ABC and ESPN2 |
|
North Carolina at ECU |
3:30 p.m. |
ESPNU |
|
Memphis at Navy * |
3:30 p.m. |
CBS Sports Network |
|
Buffalo at Temple |
3:30 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
|
Cincinnati vs. Miami (Ohio) |
8 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
|
Nicholls at Tulane |
8 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
|
Tulsa at Texas |
8 p.m. |
Longhorn Network |
|
UConn at Boise State |
10:15 p.m. |
ESPN2/ESPNU |
|
|
|
|
| Friday, September 14 |
Georgia State at Memphis |
7 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, September 15 |
UCF at North Carolina |
Noon |
ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU |
|
Rhode Island at UConn |
Noon |
ESPN3/SNY |
|
Temple at Maryland |
Noon |
Big Ten Network |
|
ECU at Virginia Tech |
12:20 p.m. |
ACC Network |
|
Lehigh at Navy |
3:30 p.m. |
CBS Sports Network |
|
USF at Illinois |
3:30 p.m. |
Big Ten Network |
|
SMU at Michigan |
3:30 p.m. |
Big Ten Network |
|
Houston at Texas Tech |
4 p.m. |
Fox |
|
Alabama A&M at Cincinnati |
7 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
|
Arkansas State at Tulsa |
7 p.m. |
CBS Sports Network |
|
|
|
|
| Thursday, September 20 |
Tulsa at Temple * |
7:30 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
|
|
|
| Friday, September 21 |
Florida Atlantic at UCF |
7 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
|
|
|
| Friday, September 28 |
Memphis at Tulane * |
8 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
|
|
|
| Thursday, October 4 |
Tulsa at Houston * |
8 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, October 6 |
Navy at Air Force |
3:30 p.m. |
CBS Sports Network |
|
|
|
|
| Friday, October 12 |
USF at Tulsa * |
7 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, October 13 |
Temple at Navy * |
3:30 p.m. |
CBS Sports Network |
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, October 20 |
Houston at Navy * |
3:30 p.m. |
CBS Sports Network |
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, October 27 |
Navy vs. Notre Dame |
8 p.m. |
CBS |
|
|
|
|
| Thursday, November 1 |
Temple at UCF * |
7:30 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
|
|
|
| Thursday, November 15 |
Tulane at Houston * |
8 p.m. |
ESPN |
|
|
|
|
| Friday, November 16 |
Memphis at SMU * |
9 p.m. |
ESPN2 |
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, November 17 |
Tulsa at Navy * |
3:30 p.m. |
CBS Sports Network |
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, December 8 |
Navy vs. Army |
3 p.m. |
CBS |