“Soaring” into a new era: American Athletic Conference rebrands with simplified name, new mascot

Photo Credit: American Conference

13 season into its history, the American Athletic Conference is soaring to new heights with a fresh and simple rebrand. Formerly known as the “American Athletic Conference” or “AAC” for short, it will now be referred to as the “American Conference” or simply “American” per an announcement by the conference on Monday. The announcement comes ahead of the conference’s football media days at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, later this week.

“The American has built a brand that differentiates us in a crowded collegiate landscape by establishing and elevating what makes us distinctive,” said Commissioner Tim Pernetti. “This modernization is rooted in who we are and where we’re headed. It prioritizes clarity, momentum, and the competitive advantage driving every part of our conference forward.”

As part of the rebrand process, the conference decided to drop “Athletic” from its name and ditch the abbreviated “AAC.” Commissioner Tim Pernetti noted that there was often confusion between the acronyms for his conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Pernetti found it troubling when he searched “AAC” on Google and it autocorrected to “ACC.” The removal of “Athletic” from the conference’s name will eliminate the confusion and allow the American to stand alone as a unique conference.

Formerly the Big East Conference, the American Conference was established in 2013 after the Big East Conference split due to tensions from the National Collegiate Athletic Association conference realignment that started in 2010 and ended in 2014. While the Big East still exists today, it is a non-football conference. With the schools focusing on basketball claiming the Big East name, the American Athletic Conference emerged, offering football, basketball, and other sports to schools that joined.

Since its inception, the American has grown into a “Group of Five” conference with 15 full-time member universities that compete in NCAA Division I, with its football programs competing in the Football Bowl Subdivision and being represented with one automatic bid to the new 12-team College Football Playoff.

In 2024, Pernetti was selected through a unanimous vote as the second commissioner in conference history, replacing Mike Aresco, who served as the conference’s commissioner since the reconstitution of the conference in 2013.

Since his arrival, Pernetti, a former president of IMG Academy, has been spearheading the modernized rebrand.

“A brand is more than a name. Over the past year, we stepped back, listened, and involved our community,” Pernetti said. “That’s how real, lasting identity is built. We’re not slick, we’re strong. This brand defines who we are, service and mission-driven institutions of higher learning with highly competitive athletics and deeply committed leaders. The student-athletes and their experience will always be our north star.”

Pernetti and the American partnered with South Carolina-based, award-winning brand integration and communications firm ANACHEL, to help lead the rebrand process. The process was a five-phase evaluation that combined quantitative research, qualitative insights, and stakeholder input.

Along with simplifying and modernizing the conference’s name, the rebrand also introduced a new tagline, a reimagined brand ethos, a revitalized digital presence, a new wordmark, and a mascot.

“Built to Rise” is the new tagline that the American introduced as part of its rebrand. This will serve as a rally cry for student athletes and fans, designed to be a resilient, purpose-driven, and innovative tagline.

The American introduced three new core pillars that will lead a new mission and brand ethos. Innovation, grit, and service are the three pillars that will power the conference, its schools, and athletes forward. These three words describe the history of the conference, what it stands for, and how it wants to move forward.

“This is more about the core pillars of the brand and modernizing it, and it’s about providing clarity to who we are,” Pernetti said in an interview with USA Today. “The process that took a year was like, ‘Let’s define what it stands for and then let’s build around the best word that I think any conference has in ‘America.’”

Once the meaning of the conference was defined, the process of creating logos and wordmarks began. To honor its history and tradition, the iconic angular “A” with its red star will continue to serve as the American’s primary logo. The new wordmark features the “A” logo anchoring the “American” wordmark. Following the “A” logo, the “Merican” characters are “crafted in Kairos Sans, a powerful and modern athletic typeface that conveys grit, energy, and innovation.”

The American will introduce a reimagined website on Thursday, July 24, as part of its revitalized digital experience. All social channels and platforms have been tailored to reflect the conference’s new brand identity and DNA.

Perhaps the biggest news of the rebrand was the introduction of a first-of-its-kind mascot. “Soar the Eagle” will be a brand ambassador and multi-platform brand symbol for the conference. The American is the first conference to have a live and animated character represent its brand, per the American Conference. Soar is meant to serve as a physical representation of the conference’s identity and “Built to Rise” tagline. The conference hopes that Soar will boost fan engagement and open up new opportunities.

“This is where success is earned, never given,” Pernetti said in a promotional video. “Where character and grit break the status quo and competition drives ambition. Ignited by innovation. United by mission. Bold in service. It is set in stone, one footprint, 15 world-class institutions, one conference. This is the American. Built to rise.”