American Conference Championship moves to Saturday night in 2026

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 05: Offensive lineman Darion Reed #77 of the Tulane Green Wave hoists a championship sign as players and fans celebrate on the field after the 34-21 win over the North Texas Mean Green during the 2025 American Conference Football Championship at Yulman Stadium on December 5, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Michael DeMocker/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The American Conference Championship Game is getting a new timeslot in 2026.

The league’s 2026 title game will kick off Saturday, Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Although it’s the 12th-straight year the American Championship Game will air on ABC, this coming December marks the first time ever the event has been slated for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday night, outside of the 2020 pandemic-adjusted season.

ABC shuffled the arrangement of its conference championships from 2025 to 2026. The Big 12 Championship Game is moving to the American Championship’s former timeslot of Friday night at 8 p.m. ET. The ACC Championship Game is moving to the Big 12 Championship’s former timeslot of Saturday at 12 p.m. ET. And the American Championship Game now occupies the ACC Championship’s traditional timeslot of Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.

From 2015-23, the American Championship primarily kicked off Saturday at noon or in the late afternoon, but ABC’s 2024 adoption of the SEC Championship Game moved the American out of its usual spot. The last two years saw the American host its title game on Friday night, but now the league is back to Saturday as one of the final two championship games of the weekend. It will run concurrent to the Big Ten Championship Game, which is scheduled for an 8 p.m. ET kick on FOX.

Of the 10 FBS conference championships in 2026, five will air on Friday night — Big 12, Conference USA, Mountain West, Pac-12, and Sun Belt — and the other five will air on Saturday — American, ACC, Big Ten, MAC, and SEC.

The American Conference Championship remains at the campus site of the team that produces the best record in conference play. Tulane has hosted three of the last four title games — making an appearance in all four from 2022-25. Last year, Tulane became the second team (joining 2021 Cincinnati) to clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff after winning the American Championship.

Here is a history of the timeslots and results of the American title game: