St. Petersburg, Florida, will host the American Conference’s annual Football Kickoff and Media Days on July 23‑24, 2026, bringing together every head coach and a select group of standout players for a series of interviews, behind‑the‑scenes features and fan‑focused activities.
Season Highlights
The 2025 campaign marked a historic turnaround for the league, with nine teams earning bowl invitations and Tulane securing a No. 11 seed in the College Football Playoff. The conference also recorded victories over opponents from the Big 12, ACC, Conference USA and Mountain West, and it was one of only four conferences to place three teams with eleven or more wins.
Fourteen head coaches, including K.C. Keeler, Jeff Monken, Neal Brown, Brian Newberry, Zach Kittley, Charles Huff, Tim Albin, Blake Harrell, Alex Mortensen, Jeff Traylor, Will Hall, Tre Lamb, Scott Abell and Brian Hartline, will participate in press conferences and meet‑and‑greets with supporters.
Media and Fan Experience
Media coverage will kick off on Thursday afternoon, July 23, and continue through Friday, July 24, with ESPN+ delivering live streaming of the kickoff event on the final day. Fans can expect photo opportunities, head‑coach press sessions and direct interactions with players, while the conference highlights its historic achievement of beating teams from the Big 12, Big Ten, SEC and ACC in non‑conference play.
Commissioner Tim Pernetti is slated to open the proceedings on Friday morning, setting the tone for what the league describes as a celebration of its most successful season in recent memory. The event will be promoted across the conference’s digital platforms and covered by a range of sports outlets, underscoring the growing media footprint of the American Conference.