NEWPORT, R.I. – Coaches and student-athletes from The American Athletic Conference (The American) will be in Newport on July 17th and 18th for the conference’s annual Summer Kickoff and Media Days.
This is at least the 3rd year in a row that the conference has chosen to host its conference in Newport, in 2017 it will be held at Gurney’s Newport Resort and Marina on Goat Island.
The American has announced that 39 of its student-athletes will join the conference’s 12 head coaches at the event for the first formal event of the 2017 football season. Legendary sports announcer Verne Lundquist will serve as the host of the event, according to The American.
The American consists of 13 prestigious institutions: the University of Central Florida, the University of Cincinnati, East Carolina University, the University of Connecticut, the University of Houston, the University of Memphis, the U.S. Naval Academy (in football only), the University of South Florida Southern Methodist University, Temple University, Tulane University, the University of Tulsa, and Wichita State University (in basketball and Olympic sports).
The American, which is the only FBS conference that returns its offensive and defensive players of the year from 2016, will have both of those players in attendance next week as USF quarterback Quinton Flowers and UCF linebacker Shaquem Griffin are scheduled to come to Newport.
The American’s contingent includes 11 players who were named to the 2016 all-conference team, including five returning first-team selections. Three players who have been named to the 2017 Maxwell Award preseason watch list will be in attendance (Flowers, Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson and Tulsa running back D’Angelo Brewer) as will two players named to the Bednarik Award watch list (Griffin and SMU defensive end Justin Lawler).
Live coverage of The American’s Summer Kickoff and Media Days will begin Monday, July 17, at 7 pm, as the American Digital Network originates from the event’s signature New England-style clambake. Hali Oughton will be joined by Andy Katz for red carpet-style coverage and interviews of arriving guests.
Scheduled to appear at the clambake are: Luke Fickell, Cincinnati; Chad Morris, SMU; Scottie Montgomery, ECU; Willie Fritz, Tulane; Philip Montgomery, Tulsa; and Randy Edsall, UConn. Also on set will be Tulsa’s Jesse Brubaker, Jamiyus Pittman of UCF and UConn’s Tommy Myers during a segment with Gurney’s chef Jim Colleran.
Coverage continues Tuesday, July 18, at 8:30 am, on the American Digital Network with the announcement of the conference’s preseason media poll. Verne Lundquist will introduce commissioner Mike Aresco at 9 am and will moderate a pair of roundtable discussions – a session with the East Division coaches at 9:45 am. and a segment with the West Division coaches at 11 am Hali Oughton and Andy Gresh will anchor the Tuesday coverage.
A two-hour recap of the Summer Kickoff will be on ESPN3 Tuesday at 2 pm ET. Mike Couzens and Matt Chatham will anchor ESPN’s coverage. SiriusXM College Sports Nation (channel 84) will originate live from Newport Tuesday, beginning at 1 pm.
ATTENDEES’ LINEUP
subject to change
UCF
Head Coach Scott Frost
Jordan Akins TE
Aaron Evans OL
Shaquem Griffin LB
Jamiyus Pittman NG
Cincinnati
Head Coach Luke Fickell
Mike Boone RB
Korey Cunningham OL
Jaylyin Minor LB
UConn
Head Coach Randy Edsall
Luke Carrezola DE
Junior Joseph LB
Tommy Myers TE
East Carolina
Head Coach Scottie Montgomery
Jimmy Williams WR
Jordan Williams LB
Houston
Head Coach Major Applewhite
Steven Dunbar WR
Matthew Adams LB
Memphis
Head Coach Mike Norvell
Genard Avery LB
Riley Ferguson QB
Anthony Miller WR
Jonathan Cook DB
Navy
Head Coach Ken Niumatalolo
Darryl Bonner RB
D.J. Palmore LB
USF
Head Coach Charlie Strong
Quinton Flowers QB
Auggie Sanchez LB
SMU
Head Coach Chad Morris
Evan Brown C
Justin Lawler DE
Courtland Sutton WR
Braeden West RB
Jordan Wyatt CB
Temple
Head Coach Geoff Collins
Sharif Finch DE
Leon Johnson OL
Keith Kirkwood WR
Nick Sharga FB
Tulane
Head Coach Willie Fritz
Ade Aruna DE
Sherman Badie RB
Dontrell Hilliard RB
Parry Nickerson CB
Tulsa
Head Coach Philip Montgomery
D’Angelo Brewer RB
Jesse Brubaker DE
Evan Plagg OT
Kerwin Thomas CB
The American serves its office located in Providence. “The location of the conference headquarters – just steps from the city’s Amtrak station and 10 minutes from T.F. Green International Airport – gives the conference easy access to its member schools. The conference headquarters also serves as the home of the American Digital Network, which provides live coverage of all 21 conference championships”, says the AAC’s website.
For more information on the conference, visit www.theamerican.org.
