The College Football season is creeping right upon us as the summer winds down. The American’s Memphis Tigers play their first game in Week 0 on August 29th, in just a little over a month. As we continue to preview every team and conference in College Football for 2026 here at SGPN, the American Conference is up next. Let’s dive into the American Conference preview, take a look at the odds, and share a few best bets.
In 2025, the American Conference proved to be one of the deepest Group of Six conferences in the entire country. Tulane won the American title going 11-3, 7-1 in conference play. It earned them a berth in the 2025 College Football Playoff. Their success led to Jon Sumrall being named the head coach of the Florida Gators. North Texas came out of seemingly nowhere, going 11-2 overall and making their first appearance in the American Conference Championship Game. Despite their loss to Tulane, they still ended the season ranked. It all earned the Mean Green’s head coach Eric Morris the top job at Oklahoma State following the departure of Mike Gundy.
Navy burst back onto the scene, also ending the year ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll. Marking three teams from the American represented in the poll. They defeated Army in the Army-Navy game, their top objective every year, and also took down the Big 12’s Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl. The biggest disappointment was the Memphis Tigers. They entered the year considered a strong contender for the American title, and started 6-0. But the wheels quickly fell off, finishing just 8-5, and going 4-4 in a tough American Conference. While no teams appear in the ESPN Top 25 Poll to start the year, the fact that you can throw a blanket over the top seven teams in the odds market to win this conference shows it’ll once again be a super competitive league.
Odds to Win American Conference Championship
Navy +450
UTSA +450
Memphis +650
Army +700
Tulane +700
East Carolina +750
South Florida +750
Florida Atlantic +1800
Temple +1800
Tulsa +1800
North Texas +2500
Rice +5000
Charlotte +10000
UAB +10000
| ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS | CHARLOTTE 49ERS |
| EAST CAROLINA PIRATES | FLORIDA ATLANTIC OWLS |
| MEMPHIS TIGERS | NAVY MIDSHIPMEN |
| NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN | RICE OWLS |
| SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS | TEMPLE OWLS |
| TULANE GREEN WAVE | TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE |
| UAB BLAZERS | UTSA ROADRUNNERS |
2026 American Conference Best Bets
Tulane Over 7.5 Wins (+115)
Tulane has been the staple of excellence in the American Conference for a few years now. The biggest question: can they keep it rolling after losing a coach so good he got a job at the legendary Florida Gators program? So far, yes has been the answer. Willie Fritz built the program and made the Green Wave a team to be feared. Jim Sumrall inherited that culture when Fritz left for Houston. Sumrall has passed that program on to Will Hall who comes over from Southern Miss. At all three of Hall’s previous head coaching gigs, he had immediate success with the teams.
The team Hall inherits is just as good as the culture that comes with it. Running back Jamario McClure broke out at the end of the season. He is being joined in the backfield by Louisville transfer Maurice Turner. The wide receiver room is solid; quarterback remains the biggest question, but the team has two solid transfer quarterbacks battling it out in Kadin Semonza and Zeno Chriss-Gremillion. On defense, the team is loaded with returning talent. Headlined by safety Jack Tchienchou, linebacker Kevin Adams III, and defensive back E’zaiah Shine, this unit will carry them. Tulane will easily cover the over in 2026.
Navy Over 8.5 Wins (+132)
The Navy Midshipmen should scare any team in 2026. Not only are these badass football players who are the future leaders of the United States Navy and Marine Corps, but they are good football players. Brian Newberry has done a great job of building off the foundation that Ken Niumatalolo built here. Navy went 11-2 in 2025, won the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy and the Liberty Bowl over the Big 12’s Cincinnati. Navy returns 12 starters and 46 letterwinners this season.
The Midshipmen suffered a major loss with quarterback Blake Horvath and running back Eli Heidenreich graduating. Lucky for them, they have a veteran signal-caller in Braxton Woodson ready to step up. Woodson rarely makes mistakes and will keep this offense in check. Speaking of this offense, their offensive coordinator Drew Cronic has really modernized the flexbone offense at Navy, and it’s always tough to prepare for and defend.
Navy to Win the American Conference (+450) & to Make the College Football Playoff (+1100)
I don’t mind putting all of my eggs in the Naval basket this season. Brian Newberry has this team rolling in back-to-back seasons, and he’s taken Navy’s culture to the next level. Next man up, “needs of the Navy” are already mottos, and these players will step up to replace the studs who left. This Navy football team is disciplined and will show up yet again in 2026. They were only a few plays away from beating North Texas, and they would have had a legit shot to beat Tulane and make it last year. They’ll hang their hat on chasing that target, and as the longshot are worth it.
