What to know about each of Memphis football's conference opponents after American media days
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The top storylines at American Conference football media day had very little to do with football.
There was talk about the conference's rebrand from the American Athletic Conference. There were plenty of discussions about Memphis' failed attempt to join the Big 12. And then there was the playbook leak story that had everybody talking on July 25.
Still, representatives from all 14 teams in the American left Charlotte on July25 preparing to kick off summer practices in about a week or so. That means football season is only a month away.
Memphis will open its season with four non-conference games before starting conference play on the road at Florida Atlantic on Sept. 27. The conference schedule includes two highly anticipated home games against Tulane and Navy and matchups against four new coaches, multiple triple-option teams and more. Here's what we learned about Memphis' opponents at American media days.
Sept. 27: at Florida Atlantic
Following a trend, Florida Atlantic hired a young offensive coach in Zach Kittley after firing Tom Herman. Kittley was previously the offensive coordinator at Texas Tech and is only 33 years old.
He recruited quarterback Caden Veltkamp, the Conference USA offensive player of the year in 2024 with Western Kentucky. Expectations for the Owls won't be sky high, but the ceiling can rise with those two in the fold. Their first conference game will be against the Tigers.
"It's going to be awesome," Kittley told The Commercial Appeal. "You're talking about one of the best teams in the league for going on years now. Excited to have them come down to Boca (Raton) and it'll be fun. Conference opener, we get a bye week before then. What a way to start off in the American with one of the best teams going to town."
Oct. 4: Tulsa
It's a similar story with the Golden Hurricane, who struggled the past two seasons and have a new coach in Tre Lamb. The 35-year-old Lamb is set for his first FBS head coaching job. He left East Tennessee State after one season to take the Tulsa job, but expectations won't be high right away.
Tulsa returns quarterback Kirk Francis but has had plenty of roster turnover. The schedule isn't easy, either — the Golden Hurricane will face Navy and Tulane before this game in early October.
Oct. 18: at UAB
Memphis gets a bye before the "Battle for the Bones." The Tigers have dominated the Blazers the past two seasons, and it's hard to see why this iteration of the rivalry will be any different.
Trent Dilfer has been UAB's coach for those two seasons, but pressure is rising heading into his third season. He's well aware of it, too.
"Incredibly disappointed," Dilfer told The Commercial Appeal, looking back on those two years. "Not going to lie about that. It's been disheartening at times to think that you're going to be something and then you're not. But I think you have to take those losses, the literal ones and the metaphorical ones, as learning opportunities and stay strong through it."
One of the goals for this season? Make that rivalry an actual rivalry.
"It's not a rivalry if one team's not ever winning," he said. "I think it's a neat deal. The 'Battle for the Bones' is a big deal. We want to make it a rivalry again. We want to be good enough to where everybody cares on both sides. And that's a huge challenge."
Oct. 25: South Florida
Last season went off the rails for South Florida because of an injury to quarterback Byrum Brown that ultimately caused him to miss most of the season. Brown is one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the Group of Five, though, and the Bulls will be dangerous if he can stay healthy.
Memphis fans remember what happened last time South Florida came to Memphis — a wild 59-50 shootout in 2023 that the Tigers won. This has the potential to be another classic.
Oct. 31: at Rice
Army and Navy aren't the only teams planning to run the triple-option this season. Rice hired former Davidson coach Scott Abell, and he's bringing the triple-option to Houston.
Memphis will have to prepare for that offense on a short week. Army and Navy's success last season showed that the option can work in this conference, but it'll be interesting to see how things go for the Owls at the start of the season.
Nov. 7: Tulane
This game is always going to be circled on the calendar for fans of both teams. Memphis went to New Orleans on Thanksgiving Day last season and spoiled the Green Wave's College Football Playoff hopes with a dominant win, so revenge will be on the mind for Tulane.
Both teams have had plenty of roster turnover, though. Tulane lost quarterback Darian Mensah and running back Makhi Hughes to the transfer portal, but coach Jon Sumrall brought in former BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff and is poised to be the preseason favorite to win the conference.
"They're a really good football team," Sumrall said about the Tigers. "Memphis invests as much as anybody in our league into facilities and rosters and those sort of things. They're a team that I think has pushed the envelope to be really good. It's a big game. They're all big games."
Nov. 15: at East Carolina
The Pirates bucked a trend and hired a defensive coach to fill their coaching vacancy. Blake Harrell served as interim coach for the end of 2024 and got the full-time job heading into 2025.
"My first job as a high school coach was a JV offensive coordinator," Harrell deadpanned. "So maybe I'm really an offensive guy at heart."
The Pirates won five of their last six games in 2024 and beat NC State in the Military Bowl. Those two teams will open the season against each other in a rematch.
Memphis and East Carolina have not met since 2022. But the Pirates have a 17-8 edge in the series and have won the past two games.
Nov. 27: Navy
The Tigers and Midshipmen meet on Thanksgiving Day in what will be a highly anticipated rematch. Navy shocked Memphis in 2024 as quarterback Blake Horvath ran roughshod over the Tigers' defense, putting up more than 400 yards of offense and announcing himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the conference.
This game won't sneak up on anyone this year, though.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.