Wichita State University will host the 2026 American Athletic Conference Academic Symposium, funded by the conference's Academic Consortium.

The Consortium funds grants for research in the area of student-athlete well-being, and the Symposium brings together student-athletes, scholars and athletics staff from The American's member institutions to learn about the results of the research. The Symposium also provides a space for collaborative efforts across the membership to discuss and enhance the student-athlete experience.

Over the last four years, five Wichita State student-athletes served as panelists on topics including the student-athlete experience, mental health, the transfer portal, and building positive team cultures.
 
The faculty research presentations result from grants funded by the AAC Academic Consortium. WSU faculty have secured three grants and presented at the symposium. Their topics ranged from post-concussion academic return to the experiences and perceptions of Black student-athletes to athletic department practices regarding mental health.

The 2024 Academic Symposium was hosted by UTSA. North Texas will host the 2025 symposium.