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Does the American Athletic Conference make the Power Five a Power Six?

By Zach Bigalke

Jan 1, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; UCF Knights quarterback Blake Bortles (5) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Baylor Bears at University of Phoenix Stadium during the Fiesta Bowl. The Knights won 52-42. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; UCF Knights quarterback Blake Bortles (5) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Baylor Bears at University of Phoenix Stadium during the Fiesta Bowl. The Knights won 52-42. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 31, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Jay Ajayi (27) runs the ball for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Arizona Wildcats in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl at Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Jay Ajayi (27) runs the ball for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Arizona Wildcats in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl at Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

2. The American isn’t even the best Group of Five conference

The Big East wasn’t even necessarily the sixth-best conference in the country for most of its existence. The rise of the Mountain West helped in large part to break the BCS system and force greater inclusivity in the new College Football Playoff system. Just like the American absorbed Conference USA teams, in turn the Mountain West took in the best programs from the dying Western Athletic Conference.

The Mountain West lost TCU to the Big 12, Utah to the Pac-12, and BYU to independence. The American lost Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Louisville to the ACC. That doesn’t end the list of defections, as Rutgers went to the Big Ten and West Virginia to the Big 12. Miami and Virginia Tech had already bolted for the ACC with Boston College a decade earlier.

The numbers bear out that reality, as the American has landed just one spot in one of the New Year’s Six bowl games since the birth of the College Football Playoff. Boise State beat Arizona in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. Houston took down Florida State in the 2015 Peach Bowl, sure, but the league couldn’t back up that performance in 2016-2017. Instead Western Michigan took the spot against Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl, giving three different Group of Five leagues access over the first three years of the College Football Playoff system.

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