Aggies to join Conference USA in 2023

After being affiliated with the Western Athletic Conference for nearly 20 years, the Aggies will be bearing a new conference flag beginning July 1, 2023. In November 2021, the Aggies accepted a Conference USA invitation to join the league. 

The Aggies, along with Jacksonville State University, Liberty University and Sam Houston State University, will join the ranks of Conference USA beginning in 2023-24. The announcement meant the Aggie football program, which is currently one of seven FBS independent teams, will be affiliated with a conference for the first time since being a part of the Sun Belt Conference from 2014-17. 

“We’re delighted to be counted among the outstanding universities that make up Conference USA,” says Chancellor Dan Arvizu. “Finding a home for all of our athletic teams, in a league that sponsors FBS football, has been a priority for us for many years. This agreement puts our university in the best position for success and we are looking forward to the bright future ahead of us.”

Members of the WAC since 2005, C-USA will become the Aggies’ sixth conference in the history of the university including the Border Conference (1931-62), Missouri Valley Conference (1971-83), the Pacific Coast Athletic Association/Big West Conference (1983-2001), Sun Belt (2001-05) and the WAC (2005-23).

“Ever since our last football game we played as a conference member, the 2017 NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl win in front of 25,000 members of Aggie Nation, my primary goal for that program was to return to a conference,” says Director of Athletics Mario Moccia. “That goal has become a reality. Becoming a member of Conference USA is a significant day in our athletic department’s history.

“Conference USA is a founding member of the College Football Playoff and will provide access to funding that will help all our athletic teams and 400 Aggie student-athletes,” Moccia says. “We look forward to all of our teams competing for Conference USA championships in the not-so-distant future, and our fans becoming acquainted with new conference opponents.”