AAC, SEC Create Men’s Basketball Scheduling Partnership

The American Athletic Conference and SEC have started a scheduling alliance for men’s basketball beginning with the upcoming 2019-2020 season, both conferences announced today.

From The American’s release:

“I am extremely pleased that we have entered into this scheduling alliance with the SEC,” said American Commissioner Mike Aresco. “SEC Basketball offers quality opponents which will elevate our nonconference schedules. The additional Quadrant 1 and 2 games for our members and the SEC will prove mutually beneficial when Tournament bids are awarded on Selection Sunday. This agreement demonstrates the continued growth and appeal of American Athletic Conference Basketball. I want to thank Greg Sankey and Dan Leibovitz for their work on and support for this arrangement, which strengthens the men’s basketball ties between our conferences that began with our basketball officiating consortium.”

The four teams selected from each conference will play a home-and-home series over the next two seasons.

It’s unclear which AAC schools and which SEC schools will face each other. The prevailing thought would be the top four AAC schools against the four SEC school who do not participate in the SEC/Big 12 challenge. Right now those four SEC schools would be: Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Texas A&M.

The AAC will have a decision to on who will get to face those SEC teams. Houston and Cincinnati seem to be locks. The other two spots could be up for grabs between Temple, UCF, Memphis, Wichita State, and USF.

USF head coach Brian Gregory said recently that the non-conference schedule will be much tougher for the Bulls going forward as they try to build on the success of this season where they finished as CBI Champions.