AAC Football: Top 5 expansion candidates for the conference

The American Athletic Conference wants to be a power league, but is at risk of having its best teams poached. Who might the AAC target in realignment?

When thinking about realignment, the consideration is usually to look at the leagues jockeying for prime position among power conferences. And we completely understand that impulse. After all, last week we began this series on realignment with looks at each Power Five conference and who they might target in a new round of realignment.

This week, however, we begin the back half of our series on realignment with a look at the most aspiring conference in the FBS. When it was the Big East, the American Athletic Conference was one of the big six leagues that qualifying automatically for BCS bowls. The AAC has dreams of returning to power-conference status.

More: Top expansion candidates for the Power 5 conferences

But at the same time, the AAC is at risk of seeing some of its best teams poached away by the current Power Five. UCF and South Florida offer a prime pair of schools waiting to get snatched up in the Sunshine State. Teams like Houston, Temple, and UConn could also be on the table for realignment. It could derail those dreams of regaining a spot among the top conferences.

Whether they are looking to replace teams or expand their footprint, the AAC would definitely be in the market for new teams in another round of realignment. Who might the conference try to bring in as new members if and when the next shuffle begins?

There seems to be a hierarchy in college football where teams move up from I-AA into the Sun Belt, shuffle up to Conference USA, and then play their way into the AAC. That pattern could reemerge in a new round of realignment. Keep reading for five prime candidates for membership in the AAC in the near future.