Commissioner Tim Pernetti
2025 American Conference Kickoff
July 25, 2025 | Charlotte, North Carolina
 
Good morning, and welcome to The Queen City.

First, a thank you to our exceptional team at the American. Your relentless effort and creativity made being here in Charlotte possible. 
Thank you to the great people at Charlotte Convention Center, the Marriott City Center, Visit Charlotte, Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, and my great friend Danny Morrison at the Charlotte Sports Commission. 

To our presidents, chancellors, athletic directors, senior women’s administrators, faculty athletics representatives—thank you for your leadership and tireless efforts to make the American great.

Welcome to Lisa Campos the athletic director at UTSA and her son Christopher, and Mike Hill the Athletic Director from Charlotte. Welcome, to CFP, Executive Director Rich Clark and your team, our friends from Cotton, Fiesta, Independence and Orange Bowls, and ESPN Events. 

We have two exceptional leaders retiring this year. Navy Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk, a true fixture in the industry, and USF’s remarkable President Rhea Law. Their impact in the American and service to student-athletes cannot be measured. 

Welcome to our football student-athletes. These two days are about you, your hard work, your stories, and the season ahead. 
Thirty years ago, I was getting ready for my last training camp at Rutgers, man do I miss it. Take it all in, feel lucky, and make the most of your opportunities; they don’t last forever. Represent us with passion, grit, and integrity. I am pumped to watch you compete this season.

To our veteran head coaches, welcome back, and thank you for elevating your programs and the American. To our first-year head coaches, we love that you’re here and excited for what’s ahead. 

Welcome to the members of the media. You shine the light on student-athletes, you are our storytellers and play a vital role in elevating the American.  

Always great to have our fans joining us for media day. We hope you enjoy the fun.

There was a recent tragedy in our conference office home state of Texas, particularly in Hill County where the loss of life included many young people. We are praying for every family that has been affected and the first responders. Let’s be grateful and enjoy today, because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Never pass up the opportunity to tell the people you love how you feel about them.
I stood up a year ago at football media day just six weeks into my role as Commissioner. What a smooth, uneventful year to be part of college sports.

The list of hot topics in collegiate athletics is growing; let’s talk some. 

First, the House Settlement. We want to thank our colleague conferences and the NCAA who served as frontline defendants.

The House Settlement is historic. It marks a new era in college athletics. It is not perfect, or a flawless solution, it’s a step toward modernization. 

While we were not a defendant in the case, we’ve opted in — including to the revenue-sharing model — it’s critical to our future and another illustration of our commitment and consistent investment in American student-athletes.

It’s also important that we wrap our arms around what’s happening in Washington, D.C. Federal engagement in college athletics is intensifying. Last night, President Trump issued an Executive Order titled Saving College Sports, creating federal guidelines for Name, Image, and Likeness rights and protections for nonrevenue sports. Meanwhile, Congress is advancing two contrasting bills: the SCORE Act, which has now cleared committee and is headed to the full House, and the athlete-centric College Athlete Economic Freedom Act.

These actions underscore the growing pressure to establish a uniform national standard for compensating and protecting college athletes, while preserving the viability of non-revenue sports and ensuring Title IX compliance. 

And, the outcome of these efforts could redefine the structure of college athletics for decades to come.

Is the employment model the answer? Could it solve some of the challenges? Well, we need to know how that model would protect our Olympic sports athletes.  I do know that we must avoid the lazy branding that if you’re paid, you’re a professional.

And, I know that college sports provides life-changing opportunities for hundreds of thousands of young people, and any solution must protect that. Like the NCAA, we look forward to working with student-athletes, lawmakers, and leadership on a path that enhances, not erodes, what makes college athletics special.

We must also tackle the transfer portal. 

I’d like to thank our coaches and our AFCA representative, Jeff Monken, for their leadership in this national conversation. 
Let me tell you a story, Last year, after winning our football championship, Army was on the receiving end of the negative impact of the portal. 

Instead 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. A transfer portal window between the end of the season and bowl games? 
What are we doing?

The 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. 

We need one portal window at the appropriate time of the year.

Student-athletes should absolutely have the opportunity to transfer one time freely, coaches change, family situations change, it’s reasonable. But any transfer beyond that should perhaps require a year in waiting.

Let’s talk about the College Football Playoff - perhaps no better example of progress plus pressure.

Rich Clark and I have some things in common: we both played college football and when we stepped into our respective roles, we each entered a CFP system that looked vastly different from the one that existed when we accepted our positions.
It’s important for everyone to understand the state of play. 

Prior to our arrival, a legal document — the famed MOU — was signed by every commissioner in that room. And while I wasn’t part of that process, I now operate within the terms of that agreement — one that grants authority to Big Ten Commissioner, Tony Petitti, and the SEC Commissioner, Greg Sankey, to meaningfully consult with and act on behalf of all FBS Conferences and college football to make decisions on what they believe is best for the game and the College Football Playoff. 

That change, while legal and agreed upon, naturally centralizes influence and decision-making.

This is not a criticism, it’s an explanation of how the system works.

Every commissioner in FBS has the responsibility to ensure that decisions are made with the full breadth of the college football ecosystem in mind, not just the most powerful corners of it. 

Tony Petitti is a strong advocate for his league. I have great respect for him and the experience and passion he brings to the table. 

Greg Sankey, has long been one of the most knowledgeable and steady voices in college athletics. He cares deeply about the game and the overall health and success of college sports. 

In that room, we all, including me, work for college football, its thousands of student-athletes and coaches, and millions of fans, the collective voice should reflect the entire sport. 

As Commissioner Sankey shared at his media day last week, we have a format right now, the 12-team format that was positive a year ago in just its first year.

Proposed formats such as the 4-4-2-2-1-3 – whatever - for certain conferences run the risk of removing a vital element that is table stakes for student athletes, coaches and fans - the opportunity to earn it on the field, the excitement of what’s possible. Line up, play the games, let see where the chips fall.

Let’s not send a message to certain football student-athletes that their opportunity isn’t as important as others. They have the same goal of playing for a National Championship. 

Our position on format is this: We are supportive of a format that preserves our access and provides the opportunity to earn more. 
We believe in a format without anything being guaranteed to any conference. 

The five highest ranked conference champions should continue to receive an automatic bid, plus a significant number of at-large opportunities giving anyone the opportunity to earn a spot. 

Win it on the field, a true merit-based system. 

And, we will continue to audit the selection process, how metrics are used, how fairness is measured, and how this system can evolve the right way. 

Let’s not forget: the BCS didn’t fall apart because of its format. It collapsed under the weight of confusion, favoritism, and protecting certain programs over others.

That’s what the CFP was built to fix.

Let’s talk about modernizing, protecting and growing our business, and yes it’s a business. Business is not a dirty word, it's a mission-driven business.

While the world of college sports, including me, debates the symptoms, realignment, collectives, NIL, legal,  governance - the root issue remains unchanged.

The economics of college athletics simply do not make sense. The business is unsustainable, undervalued and not optimized. Optimizing the business will take collective action and courage.

It’s time to stop apologizing for wanting to generate revenue for our business because investing in college athletics, which is the strongest marketing arm of any university, creates more exposure, more interest, and that equates to increased applications and enrollment.   

In any business, you start with your goals… your north star. Ours? To create opportunities for young people to play sports, go to college and earn a degree. 

I am a product of it, and a strong believer in it.

Athletics teaches us resilience, discipline, handling adversity, being a great teammate, and most of all, what every parent wants for their children, Life Skills. 

We should be thoughtful about building the future for only the top 2%, because we have another 98% that demand our leadership and a meaningful experience.

With our clear goals in mind. Here are a couple of ideas:

Instead of cutting sports and roster spots in response to the House settlement, we should be adding them. By creating new opportunities for full-enrollment, non-scholarship student-athletes to compete in athletics, universities can generate incremental tuition revenue while deepening affinity, building community, and expanding access. 

This isn’t just good for student-athletes, and college sports, it’s great for the bottom line. 

The industry needs revenue, let’s add and get on offense, turning campus-wide challenges into growth opportunities. 

Here’s another idea:

No 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. The pie can be so much bigger for all our institutions. At the American, we’re not trying to eat off any other conference’s plate. We believe that the Autonomy Four deserve more revenue given the value they bring in television viewership, attendance, sponsorship and more. But I’ve seen the potential upside of consolidation. I’ve seen the numbers, they are backed by data. Revenues can triple.

After a year-long process, on Monday, we officially launched the new modernized brand identity of the American Conference.
It’s 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. 

A brand is more than a logo and the numbers proved it. Since our announcement on Monday, our brand modernization generated more than 1,600 media stories and mentions, with a potential reach of over 1 billion people. We saw an estimated 3.5 million views, and most notably, 9.4 million dollars in earned media advertising value. That’s what happens when you get on offense, and tell your story with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

I want to thank Carrie Cecil and Hunter Ruetz and their team at ANACHEL, and my entire staff at the American for their unified effort that brought this brand to life.

At the heart is a simplified name, American Conference — a name our fans and the media have used for years, and now, one we’re proudly owning.

We’ve sunset “American Athletic Conference” and the “AAC” acronym, to eliminate confusion, sharpen our voice, and ensure consistent recognition. 

We defined our values. Innovation. Grit. And Service. It’s who we are!

We introduced a rally call: Built to Rise. It’s a mindset.

Innovation is about having guts, taking risk, being first. It’s about momentum and impact. 

This year, the American was the first conference to implement league-wide minimum investment and revenue-sharing protocol, ensuring our student-athletes across all 15 institutions are supported equitably.

We also introduced a new performance-based revenue distribution model to reward competitive success in football and basketball, and encourage aggressive non-conference scheduling. Excellence is expected, earned and incentivized. 

And to supercharge our business and revenue growth, we launched American RISE Ventures — our new wholly owned commercial division. 

At the helm is Bryan Calka, our Chief Commercial Officer, and Kelli Sargenti, Senior Director of Partnership Marketing. Their relationships, experience and energy are already helping take this league to the next level.

We’re proud to be part of the ESPN/ABC family, and grateful for the broad-based exposure and consistent prominence across the Disney family of networks. It showcases our student-athletes and programs on a national stage. We are also proud to be partnered with CBS Sports where some of our top basketball is showcased on broadcast television. 

Fifty-two million people watched American football last season.

Seventeen of our games topped 1 million viewers, with many racking up 2 to 4 million viewers.

The American Championship Game has aired in primetime on ABC for 10 straight years, with this year marking the 11th.

Army and Navy continue to show the power of their National Brands both competing against Notre Dame in 2024, both games far exceeding 2.5 million viewers

The Army-Navy Game on CBS drew 9.4 million viewers — the most since 1990.

In Bowl Season, 6 of our 8 games surpassed 1 million viewers

Broad based linear exposure and elevation. The American is consistently delivering value, and visibility.

The biggest bird in college sports this week is Soar The Eagle. When we first explored the idea of a symbol of the American, I was skeptical. 

We talked about symbols that are uniquely American and nothing measured up to the bald eagle, a strong, bold representation. Soar went from an idea to a symbol, to a commercial asset, a content creator, and community leader. Soar is the first-ever conference brand ambassador, brought to life Monday in the American. 

The American is the first collegiate conference to pioneer a new model of conference branding that leverages intellectual property, much like we see in professional sports. 

We’re not waiting for the industry, we’re building it, leading it — strategically, with purpose.

Grit is the engine in the car at the American

Last year, Army won 12 games, the most in its history, and earned our Football Championship in their first year. Army was ranked for 10 consecutive weeks of the season and at 16, had its highest national ranking since 1962.

Memphis won 11 games finishing in the top 25, Navy won 10 — joining the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC as the only leagues in America with three 10-win teams.

Eight of our 14 football programs competed in bowl games. We won the Bowl Challenge Cup with a 6-2 record — while beating Oklahoma, West Virginia, and NC State along the way.

We are deep in all sports. We saw UTSA beat Texas, the No. 2 team in the nation twice in Austin to win its first NCAA baseball regional in program history. We closed the year by seeing South Florida’s men’s 4x400 relay team win an NCAA championship. 

And while realignment is happening every day, we know the meaning of other conferences wanting your members. It’s the ultimate compliment. It reinforces the quality of our institutions, the character of our programs and the power of the American. The American builds strong, competitive and resilient programs and we’re not surprised to be the target of realignment. 

We are building a league with values. A league with vision. A league with guts to be first. 

Grit is about character.

Last — and maybe most important — is Service. Our call to lead beyond the field.

We’d like to acknowledge the commitment, leadership and selfless dedication of the men and women enrolled at our two service academies, including the four student-athletes who are with us today. Our cadets and midshipmen embody this mission of service every day. 

This past year, every one of our member institutions earned academic-based NCAA revenue distributions — a rare and meaningful accomplishment.

Memphis had two student-athletes named as NCAA Postgraduate Scholars, one of the most competitive academic honors in the country, our own conference SAAC Chair Jack Kersey and tennis student-athlete Pablo Alemany.

Sadie Goldin of North Texas received $12,500 in tuition assistance through the CFP Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers initiative,  proof of purpose-driven partnership.

In closing,  I want to thank everyone for being here. 

We are the American - no one else - and we know who we are and what differentiates us. Innovation. Grit, Service. We will continue to do our talking on the field. 

The American is Built To Rise

I will open it up to questions. Thank you!