We thought The American's bowl future would at least be similar bowl to what C-USA previously had, but it looks like it'll be a lot worse.
Power 5 conferences have taken C-USA's top 2 non-Hawaii bowl tie-ins, the Liberty signing SEC and Big12 and the Big Ten signing with the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth. The Liberty Bowl hosted the SEC under the previous contract, but now adds the Big 12 as an opponent. There has been an overwhelming desire for the elite conferences to play each other in bowls, and The American is becoming a repeated casualty.
Read more: http://www.voodoofive.com/2013/7/23/4549558/liberty-bowl-not-taking-the-american-goes-with-sec-and-big-12-instead