American Athletic Conference

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
510244593
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Irving, TX, USA
Phone
(469) 284-5167
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$127,153,770
Expenses
$155,760,065
Assets
$88,196,652
Liabilities
$4,364,213

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

26 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MICHAEL L ARESCO (COMMISSIONER,PRESIDENT(RETIRED6/3/24))
  • TIMOTHY R PERNETTI (COMMISSIONER,PRESIDENT(HIRED 6/3/24))

Highest reported compensation

  • MICHAEL L ARESCO (COMMISSIONER,PRESIDENT(RETIRED6/3/24)): $1,335,992 total reported compensation
  • TIMOTHY R PERNETTI (COMMISSIONER,PRESIDENT(HIRED 6/3/24)): $1,088,382 total reported compensation
  • DONNA DEMARCO EGAN (SR. ASSOC. COMM.-COO): $443,120 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The american conference's mission is to provide students with the highest quality education and level of competition. Working together with a collective strength and spirit, our universities are committed to our students' health and well-being, and to provide the skills and training essential to empower them in their lives and careers after graduation. We will strive to be a leader in inclusive excellence.as an elite division i conference, we will pursue academic and athletic excellence in the context of our core values of integrity and sportsmanship and in a culture of compliance, by being innovative in our approach, and by engaging constructively with our communities and with our peers in the greater college community.

What it reported doing in 2024

To supervise and control intercollegiate athletics within the scope of the educational purpose of the conference. To encourage sportsmanship and sound academic practices for student athletes and high standards of competitive performance.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 95% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 83% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 88
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 23
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 98.2%; rating input score 98
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -22.5%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.57; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.1%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.3% per year; rating input score 100; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.9% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 98.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $153M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $1.3M · 26 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $2.4M reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 25 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 15 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 3/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 22/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 36/100.