Mustangs on the Hilltop will have much to look forward to this coming fall, including trying to explain the difference between the sports complex downtown and the new conference title that SMU plays in, after University presidents of the castoff Big East have decided to name their new group the American Athletic Conference.

The AAC was chosen after a conference on Wednesday saw approval from the majority of the men in charge of each remaining school left after the seven catholic schools departed with the Big East title in hand.

SMU will be joined for a short time by the Big East’s remnants, including Louisville, Connecticut, Rutgers, South Florida, Temple and Cincinnati. Conference USA will also send over a few castoffs in the forms of Memphis, Houston and Central Florida.

Although several schools will leave after the 2013 season concludes, they will quickly be replaced by more current Conference USA programs Tulsa, Tulane and East Carolina. Navy will also join in 2015 for football only.

According to the Associated Press, SMU will receive a part of a $100 million pot the league earned after the many entry and exit fees in recent years, along with some of the conference’s NCAA basketball revenue. The AAC also has already set up new deals to televise their games on both ESPN and CBS.
The Mustangs will definitely have their work cut out for them, as their new group possesses some of the nation’s best programs and coaches who will look to set the tone against their new rivals in the American Athletic Conference.