THE GREAT REBUILD: Inside the AAC's Most Ambitious Program TransformationsNew Post

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Let’s take a look around the world of college football this week:

Tulane QB TJ Finley suspended after arrest: Court records show the case revolves around a Dodge Ram that was reported stolen in Atlanta. Tulane’s QB position is now a wide-open race between Ball State transfer Kadin Semoza and Illinois transfer Donovan Leary. More here: LINK 

Major Cal donors in standoff with school over Berkeley's football team. Donors want recently hired GM Ron Rivera to have complete control over football (and they want unpopular Athletic Director Jim Knowlton out of football). LINK

UAB Athletic Director addresses program challenges: In a wide-ranging interview with The Banner’s Steve Irvine, UAB Athletic Director Mark Ingram speaks candidly about the challenges facing UAB athletics in today's rapidly evolving college sports landscape. From navigating the financial implications of the NCAA vs. House settlement to evaluating the football program under Trent Dilfer, Ingram offers thoughtful insights on how a Group of Five program like UAB is adapting to compete. LINK - Part 1 LINK - Part 2

“I’m in a situation now where where, for really the first time here at Penn State, we have the alignment that I’ve been pounding the table for for 12 years.” James Franklin, Penn State Head Coach LINK

Stanford hires Frank Reich as Interim Football Coach. The move allows a new athletic director to work with GM Andrew Luck to identify and hire a permanent head football coach. LINK

What does a College Football GM do? Rise of the college football GM: How personnel heads became program-shaping roles, provides a clue: LINK

Kent State football coach Kenni Burns has been placed on administrative leave. Burns is ranked #2 on our end-of-season Coaches Hot Seat Rankings because his teams don’t win and because of the number of personal off-field issues involving the head coach. LINK

All games. All fans. Feast for free. Coastal Carolina Athletics will partner with its concessionaire Aramark to allow fans to eat free at Chanticleers Football games inside Brooks Stadium this fall. LINK

DEEP DIVE

The AAC's Identity Crisis: Four Programs Searching for a New Future

The American Athletic Conference stands at a fascinating crossroads in 2025. Four of its most intriguing programs—Temple, Rice, UAB, and Tulane—are starting from scratch, each navigating unique challenges that will define their futures. From a championship coach returning home to resurrect a program in statistical free-fall, to a dramatic philosophical shift from air-raid to ground-and-pound, to a celebrity coach facing his last chance to prove critics wrong, to a conference runner-up watching its talent get poached through NIL deals—these programs represent the complex reality of modern college football. This week, we dive deep into these four teams undergoing radical transformation, exploring how each addresses the fundamental question: How do you build sustainable success in today's rapidly evolving landscape? The answers will shape these programs and potentially provide a blueprint for similar institutions fighting the same uphill battles across the college football world.

UAB Blazers: The Make-or-Break Season

The UAB Blazers football program is walking a dangerous tightrope between redemption and total collapse. After stumbling to a 3-9 record in 2024 (following an equally disappointing 4-8 campaign in 2023), what was once a respectable mid-major program has devolved into what local fans have bluntly labeled a "clown show." Head Coach Trent Dilfer, entering his make-or-break third season with an abysmal 7-17 record (.292), faces the monumental task of proving he wasn't the wrong hire for a program that flourished under previous leadership (Bill Clark: 49-26 record, .653 winning percentage). The 2025 season isn't just another chapter—it's the ultimate referendum on whether Dilfer's hiring was a catastrophic mistake or a long-term vision that needed time, as a revamped coaching staff and 13 incoming transfers attempt to fix an abysmal run defense (212.9 rushing yards allowed per game) and develop quarterback stability between Jalen Kitna and Ryder Burton. [Click here for a deep dive into UAB's critical 2025 season]

Rice Owls: From Pass-Heavy to Ground-and-Pound

The Rice Owls are about to undergo their most significant transformation in recent memory. After a disappointing 4-8 campaign in 2024 that saw a mid-season coaching change, Rice University has appointed Scott Abell as the program's 20th head coach—signaling a dramatic shift from a pass-heavy offense (252.5 yards per game) to the ground-and-pound approach that led Davidson College to five straight years of leading the nation in rushing. The philosophical overhaul continues with a coaching staff blending Abell's Davidson connections with existing Rice personnel. At the same time, the roster faces critical questions after losing key contributors (including running back Dean Connors) through the transfer portal. For Rice football, 2025 is about laying the groundwork for sustained success while fixing the turnover problem (-13 margin) that neutralized a defense that performed reasonably well. [Click here for a deep dive into Rice's 2025 transformation]

Tulane Green Wave: Fighting a Gunfight with a Knife

The AAC Championship runner-up lost its star quarterback to an $8 million NIL deal. This is the new reality for Tulane football and head coach Jon Sumrall as they enter the 2025 season: competing against programs with financial resources that far exceed their own ("When you have a couple-million dollar roster versus a 15 million dollar roster you're going sometimes into a gun fight with a knife"). Despite reaching the AAC Championship in Sumrall's first season, the Green Wave now face massive roster turnover—losing QB Darian Mensah (Duke), RB Makhi Hughes (Oregon), all three top receivers, and tight end Alex Bauman (Miami)—forcing a complete offensive rebuild through 23 incoming transfers including T.J. Finley (QB), Maurice Turner (RB), and Jimmy Calloway (WR). Tulane's 2025 season isn't just about wins and losses—it's about proving that a sustainable model exists for programs with limited resources in the NIL era. [Click here for a deep dive into Tulane's 2025 challenges]

Tulane QB TJ Finley suspended after arrest: Court records show the case revolves around a Dodge Ram that was reported stolen in Atlanta. Tulane’s QB position is now a wide-open race between Ball State transfer Kadin Semoza and Illinois transfer Donovan Leary. More here: LINK

Temple Owls: The Championship Coach Returns Home

Temple football is about to experience the most dramatic transformation in program history. After a disastrous 3-9 campaign that saw statistical rankings that would make any Owls fan cringe (124th in rushing offense, 128th in rushing defense), Pennsylvania native K.C. Keeler returns home with national championships from Delaware and Sam Houston State on his résumé—and a reputation for program revival that Temple desperately needs. The championship DNA has arrived on North Broad Street with a complete coaching staff overhaul, transfer portal reinforcements from Sam Houston, Kentucky, and Missouri State, and a quarterback competition that will determine whether Temple's offensive transformation happens in months or years. [Click here for a deep dive into Temple's 2025 rebuild]

THAT’S A WRAP

This week's deep dives into Temple, Rice, UAB, and Tulane reveal how dramatically the college football landscape is shifting in real time. Each program faces its existential challenge—whether rebuilding with championship DNA, completely overhauling offensive identity, fighting to escape a legendary coach's shadow, or battling against financial disadvantages in the NIL era. These stories represent just the beginning of our comprehensive AAC coverage.

Next week, we'll complete our conference preview with equally compelling transformations underway at Tulsa, North Texas, South Florida, and UTSA—four more programs fighting for relevance in a conference where rapid adaptation isn't just advantageous, it's essential for survival.

The question remains: Which of these eight programs will successfully navigate these treacherous waters to emerge as the AAC's next breakout story? Stay tuned as we continue mapping the conference's fascinating evolution.