The University of Houston Football program is the preseason favorite in the 2022 American Athletic Conference preseason media poll, the league unveiled ahead of its media day.

The Cougars garnered 243 points and received seven of 24 possible first-place votes. Houston is the narrow favorite over 2021 conference champion Cincinnati which picked up 242 points behind 10 first-place votes. UCF earned the remaining seven first-place votes and totaled 225 points in third.
 
Houston is in search of its second American Athletic Conference title and first since 2015. A season ago, the Cougars posted an 8-0 record in league play, marking just the second undefeated conference season in program history.
 
Houston opens its season on Sept. 3 at UTSA. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. from the Alamodome and can be seen on CBS Sports Network. The in-state matchup is the lone FBS contest nationally during Week 1 featuring two 12-plus win teams from a season ago.
 
The Cougars open American play at home on Friday, Sept. 30 against Tulane. Houston will host USF (Oct. 29), Temple (Nov. 12) and Tulsa (Nov. 25 or 26) and pay visits to Memphis (Friday, Oct. 7), Navy (Oct. 22), SMU (Nov. 5) and East Carolina (Nov. 19). The American's top two teams will square off in the title game on Dec. 3.
 
2022 American Athletic Conference Preseason Media Poll

Team (First-Place Votes) Points