University of Houston Athletics
The American Announces 2015-18 Football Schedule Formats
12/18/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The American Athletic Conference and Commissioner Mike Aresco have announced the conference football schedule format for the 2015-18 seasons, released Thursday afternoon.
The 2015 season will be the first in The American's new 12-team, two-division format. Houston will play within the conference's West Division, which consists of Memphis, Navy, SMU, Tulane and Tulsa. The East Division will include UCF, Cincinnati, UConn, East Carolina, USF, and Temple.
In 2015, Houston is set to host Cincinnati, Memphis, Navy and SMU inside TDECU Stadium and will travel to UCF, UConn, Tulane and Tulsa. The Cougars will not play East Carolina, USF, and Temple.
The conference schedule will include 48 regular-season games that will have each of the 12 teams in The American playing eight league contests annually. Each team will face the other five teams in its own division, as well as three teams from the other division, ensuring that each school will play every conference opponent at home and on the road at least once in the four-year cycle.
The East and West Division winners, determined by final conference record, will meet in the first American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game, which will be played at the home site of one of the division winners.
"This format is a sensible and fair model that will protect traditional rivalries and allow each school to travel across our geographic footprint on a regular basis," said Aresco. "It will make for an exciting and extremely competitive regular season, adding to the drama which annually makes the college football regular season the best in all of sports, and it will produce two strong and tested teams who will then compete in our inaugural conference championship game."
The American Athletic Conference has enjoyed widespread success since its inaugural season in 2013. The conference produced two 12-win teams in 2013, including UCF, which won the Fiesta Bowl, and saw UCF, Cincinnati and Memphis tie for the conference title in 2014. Five American Athletic Conference teams - UCF, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Houston and Memphis - will play in the 2014 postseason. Navy, which joins The American in football in 2015, also will play in a bowl game this season.
Houston's non-conference slate is set for the 2015 season with three of the four contests played inside TDECU Stadium. The Cougars will host Tennessee Tech on Sept. 5 before travelling to Louisville on Sept. 12. Houston will wrap up its non-conference slate with home games on Sept. 26 vs. Texas State and Oct. 31 vs. Vanderbilt.
For the 2016 season, three of the four non-conference games have been set with the season kicking off against Oklahoma on Sept. 3 at NRG Stadium as part of the AdvoCare Kickoff Classic. The Cougars will then travel to Texas State on Sept. 24 and host Louisville on Nov. 19.
For more details on future non-conference schedules for the Cougars, CLICK HERE.
FUTURE AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SCHEDULE FORMATS
2015
Home: Cincinnati, Memphis, Navy, SMU
Away: UCF, UConn, Tulane, Tulsa
Does Not Play: East Carolina, USF, Temple
2016
Home: UCF, UConn, Tulane, Tulsa
Away: Cincinnati, Memphis, Navy, SMU
Does Not Play: East Carolina, USF, Temple
2017
Home: East Carolina, Memphis, Navy, SMU
Away: USF, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa
Does Not Play: UCF, Cincinnati, UConn
2018
Home: USF, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa
Away: East Carolina, Memphis, Navy, SMU
Does Not Play: UCF, Cincinnati, UConn
For a complete list of the entire American Athletic Conference schedule format, CLICK HERE.
BOWL TICKETS
Houston fans can purchase Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl tickets ranging from $30-$75 here.
For more information on Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl tickets, fans can call 713-GO-COOGS (462-6647) or 877-COUGAR-5 (268-4275) or visit the Houston Athletics Ticket Office, located at Gate 1 on the northeast corner of TDECU Stadium from 10 a.m., to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
STUDENT BOWL PACKAGES
UH students can purchase ticket travel packages for the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl for as low as $20 for ticket packages and $40 for travel packages. Student packages can be found here.
Travel packages include round trip bus transportation from Houston to Fort Worth, one night hotel stay in Fort Worth, a student ticket for the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl and entry to the UHAA Tailgate party with a bowl gift courtesy of UHAA.
TRAVEL PACKAGES
Non-UH students can purchase travel packages for the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl as well through the University of Houston Alumni Association. Those travel packages can be found here.
Travel packages may include hotel accommodations at an official Houston hotel, admission to official Houston bowl events, bowl game eve reception, pregame tailgate party, Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl ticket and more!
2015 SEASON TICKET DEPOSITS
With Tom Herman set to lead Houston in 2015, place your deposits now for 2015 Houston Football season tickets and secure your seat in TDECU Stadium. A $50 deposit at UHCougars.com/2015 will guarantee your place for a slate of seven home games including SEC opponent Vanderbilt. Join Tom Herman and secure your 2015 season tickets now.
