Tim Pernetti Talks Playoff Access, Portal Reform, and Growth Strategy at American Media Day

American Conference commissioner Tim Pernetti covered a wide range of issues at the league’s football media day in Charlotte, laying out his vision for the future while addressing some of the sport’s biggest hot-button topics.

Pernetti opened by highlighting the league’s official rebrand as the American Conference, a shift from “American Athletic Conference” and the AAC acronym that he said will “eliminate confusion” and sharpen the league’s identity. The conference is leaning on a rallying call, “Built to Rise,” and core values of innovation, grit, and service as it pushes for a stronger national presence. Pernetti said the brand relaunch drew 1,600 media mentions, 3.5 million views, and nearly $10 million in earned advertising value in its first week.

The rebrand also introduced “Soar,” a bald eagle mascot and brand ambassador meant to serve as a community figure and commercial asset. Pernetti admitted he was skeptical at first but said the mascot reflects “a bold, uniquely American symbol” and gives the conference a first-of-its-kind marketing tool among college leagues.

On the competitive side, Pernetti reiterated the American’s stance on the College Football Playoff, saying the league backs the 12-team format but opposes any plan to guarantee berths to specific conferences. He argued the playoff should keep its five highest-ranked conference champion auto-bids along with a significant number of at-large spots, ensuring programs outside the power conferences remain in contention. “Let’s not send a terrible message to student-athletes that some opportunities are less important than others,” he said. “Line up, play the games, and see where the chips fall.”

Pernetti also addressed the transfer portal, calling for a single window after the season and requiring players who transfer more than once to sit out a year. He cited Army’s 2024 bowl experience—when Marshall withdrew from a matchup due to mid-December portal attrition—as proof that the current structure “threatens the game, the culture, and the ability for coaches to build programs.”

Financial pressures from the House settlement and the changing economics of college sports were another major theme. Pernetti said the American opted into the House revenue-sharing model despite not being a defendant in the case, underscoring the league’s “commitment to investing in student-athletes.” He also called for federal standards to stabilize NIL and athlete protections, pointing to President Trump’s executive order on NIL and two competing bills in Congress as indicators of growing federal involvement.

Looking forward, Pernetti floated two growth strategies aimed at countering new financial pressures:

— Encouraging schools to add non-scholarship sports and roster spots to drive enrollment and tuition revenue rather than cutting programs.

— Exploring the possibility of consolidating media rights across all FBS leagues, similar to the NFL’s model, which he said could triple total media revenue for schools over time. Pernetti acknowledged hurdles such as contract timing and the Sports Broadcasting Act but argued the economics of college sports demand bold, collective solutions.

Other updates and takeaways from Pernetti’s remarks:

— Player availability reports will debut this fall as a game-day transparency measure.

— The league continues to post strong TV numbers, drawing 52 million viewers in 2024, with 17 games topping 1 million viewers and several between 2–4 million. The Army–Navy game drew 9.4 million viewers, its biggest audience since 1990.

— The American was one of just five conferences to produce three 10-win teams last season (Army, Navy, and Memphis), joining the ACC, Big Ten, SEC, and Big 12. The league also won bowl games over Oklahoma, NC State, and West Virginia.

— On Memphis’s reported Big 12 interest, Pernetti said he “admires their ambition” and recalled his own experience taking Rutgers to the Big Ten. He emphasized that the American is “building strong, resilient programs” so departures “aren’t a surprise” and added that expansion will only be pursued if new members add value and align with the league’s identity.

— Pernetti said the conference is in discussions about independent medical observers and other safety protocols, following the ACC’s lead in exploring new ways to protect players.

— He downplayed a recent controversy over leaked direct messages involving players from Memphis and UTSA, calling it “sensationalized” but affirming the league takes game integrity seriously.

Pernetti closed by reinforcing the league’s identity and direction: “We are the American. We’re not anybody else, and we’re not trying to be anybody else. We know who we are, and we know what differentiates us—innovation, grit, service—and we’ll keep doing our talking on the field. This conference is built to rise.”