The American Athletic Conference Championship Game was the first of the conference championship matchups to be decided. That’s because the Tulane Green Wave and Army Black Knights locked their spots in the title picture two weeks ago.
Unlike the Power Four championship matchups, however, the AAC Championship Game will be hosted by one of these two programs. So, who is hosting this matchup?
Why Is Tulane Playing On Thanksgiving?
First things first, the AAC Championship Game will be hosted by the highest-ranked AAC team of the two contenders. That means, with a win, Tulane will host the game against Army.
And that’s why we’re here, answering the question of why Tulane is playing on Thanksgiving.
Originally set up as a date with another contender, it’s clear that the Tulane-Memphis game was set to be either an AAC Championship Game eliminator or a preview of what the championship game could be.
Both Memphis and Tulane were pegged as preseason favorites to contend and the scheduling of this game on Thanksgiving only made sense if that’s how the season ended up. Unfortunately, for Memphis fans, the Tigers are out and just hoping for a good bowl placement this season.
Does Tulane Have Anything to Play For vs. Memphis?
While Memphis is just hoping for a better bowl game now, the Green Wave absolutely have something to play for on Thanksgiving. With a win, Tulane will guarantee that they’ll host the AAC Championship Game against Army.
The Green Wave is still actively in the hunt for the Group of Five’s berth in the College Football Playoffs, needing to beat Memphis and Army before getting some help from a loss or two of the other G5 teams ranked ahead of them.
KEEP READING: Tulane vs. Memphis Prediction
But for now, it’s take care of business against Memphis on Thanksgiving to guarantee the Green Wave hosts Army for the AAC Championship.
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