IRVING, Texas – Some of the nation's top college football players and coaches will convene in St. Petersburg Florida for the 2026 American Kickoff, which will be held Thursday and Friday, July 23-24 at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront.
 
Fans are once again invited to take part in the annual event. Twenty-eight student-athletes are set to attend the Kickoff, which will be held in St. Petersburg for the first time. Media sessions begin at 11 a.m. ET Thursday, continuing Friday morning with press conferences with all 14 head coaches. Commissioner Tim Pernetti will deliver remarks on Friday at 8:05 a.m. ET.
 
Student-athletes and coaches will also be available for breakout sessions at specified times Friday and upon request during their Thursday-afternoon block.
 
Fans can experience the Kickoff in person with access to press conferences, photo opportunities and meet-and-greets with players and coaches.
 
Registration is available at www.TheAmerican.org/Kickoff.
 
Five of the 28 student-athletes earned all-conference honors last season: Army center Brady Small, Florida Atlantic defensive lineman DJ Doggette Jr., Rice running back Quinton Jackson, Temple tight end Peter Clarke and Tulane safety Jack Tchienchou.
 
Six of the American's 14 teams will have their projected starting quarterbacks in attendance. Returning starters include Florida Atlantic's Caden Veltkamp (3,641 yards, 24 touchdowns), UTSA's Owen McCown (2,995 yards, 30 touchdowns) and Tulsa's Baylor Hayes, who set a freshman record with 12 touchdown passes in nine starts.
 
Also attending are UAB's Ryder Burton (708 passing yards, seven touchdowns), Navy's Braxton Woodson (414 rushing yards, six touchdowns) and Rice's Jacurri Brown, a transfer from UCF who compiled 1,727 yards of total offense in 21 career games.
 
Live coverage of the American Kickoff will air Friday, July 24, at 7:50 a.m. ET/6:50 a.m. CT on ESPN+ as Maria Trivelpiece, Rene Ingoglia and Leger Douzable interview coaches and student-athletes from all 14 teams.

 
ATTENDEES LINEUP
subject to change
 

UAB
Head Coach Alex Mortensen
Ryder Burton               QB
Ike Esonwune              LB
 
Army
Head Coach Jeff Monken
Brady Small                 C
Owen Walter               LS
 
Charlotte
Head Coach Tim Albin
Derrick Eley                 WR
Kadin Schmitz             LB
 
East Carolina
Head Coach Blake Harrell
Brock Spalding WR
Jasiyah Robinson        DL
 
Florida Atlantic
Head Coach Zach Kittley
Caden Veltkamp          QB
CJ Doggette Jr .           DL
 
Memphis
Head Coach Charles Huff
Maarten Woudsma      OL
Mike Montgomery       LB
 
Navy
Head Coach Brian Newberry
Braxton Woodson        QB
Giuseppe Sessi            S
 

North Texas
Head Coach Neal Brown
Max Reese                  TE
Aaron Alexander          LB
 
Rice
Head Coach Scott Abell
Quinton Jackson          RB
Jacurri Brown              QB
 
South Florida
Head Coach Brian Hartline
Wyatt Sullivan             TE
Grayson 'Pup' Howard LB
 
Temple
Head Coach K.C. Keeler
Peter Clarke                TE
Eric Stuart                   LB
 
UTSA
Head Coach Jeff Traylor
Owen McCown             QB
Owen Pewee               LB
 
Tulane
Head Coach Will Hall
Chris Rodgers              LB
Jack Tchienchou         S
 
Tulsa
Head Coach Tre Lamb
Baylor Hayes               QB
Devin Robinson           STAR