A local Fox station in Memphis reported that Memphis and the Big East were hot and heavy in negotiations to have the Tigers join.
Ever since the Memphis Tigers got left behind in the Great Bum Rush to leave Conference USA– also known as the Big East expansion in 2003– Tiger fans have had one singular goal. To follow their old rivals from Louisville, and Cincinnati to the greener pastures of the Big East.
And here’s where it gets interesting.
Sources have confirmed to FOX13 Sports that University of Memphis officials have been in serious talks with the Big East about joining the conference.
Of course the Big East is denying this story.
…Big East spokesman John Paquette to track down these rumors that Memphis might join the Big East and he categorically denied them.
“No truth,” Paquette said by phone from Rhode Island. “I saw the clip. It’s a TV report with no named sources. No one from the University of Memphis. No on-the-record sources. We’ve been down this road. We are not talking about expansion with any institution.”
Repeat after me, there won’t be any expansion until there is a split of the conference between the football schools and the basketball only schools.
As an Akron fan I would love to see the UofAkron Zips in the expected football conference. Akron clearly seemed pointed in that direction.
Akron’s cozy relationship with the BE with regards to the BE currently holding their indoor track championships at Akron has to be a plus for the Zips.
Geographically there is a pretty tight community of schools stretching from Memphis back to Syracuse. This region contains Akron and could well include Toledo or another MAC school willing to spend the money.
Memphis would be an excellent addition to the BE. I can visualize potential rivalries involving current BE schools on the western side of the conference and new opponents such as Toledo, Memphis and Akron.
It is interesting to note that the so called football schools also possess excellent basketball programs.
Of particular interest to Akron would be a home for its excellent men’s soccer program. Currently the Zips tend to play more Big Ten than any other out of conference games.
Before this all shakes out we can expect a fair number of schools making considerable effort to become a part of the Big East. Success breeds interest.
As for Memphis, this would be awesome. The Big East would become like a basketball monopoly. My goodness can you imagine seeing Memphis, UConn, Syracuse, Georgetown, and Lousiville every year…just in CONFERENCE play!!
I think the Big East can get along alright with the current set-up for a couple years and see how it plays out. The best thing possible is (the impossible), to get a dragging basketball only school to leave the conference (Seton Hall?) but that will never happen.
The Big East football schools need to examine whether it is more worthwhile for a conference of Pitt, USF, WVU, Cuse, UConn, Ville, Cincy, Rutgers to add schools like Memphis, or whether it is more beneficial to keep the current arrangement because of the basketball benefits (if there are any).
Perhaps schools could be invited to just play in football and that is it – Memphis may like that since CUSA doesn’t play football at the 1A level – seriously – Tulsa?
But, seeing how the conference was so easily screwed over by the ACC (which seems like a bunch of bumbling dolts themselves) .. yeah, I do think he’s that stupid. Works fine for the tiny hoops schools .. Meanwhile, Pitt is one of the unfortunate victims. We have to schedule I-AA crap in football due to a lack of teams, and get screwed in basketball scheduling because there are too MANY teams, so we can’t play more home and homes with our biggest rivals. Can’t wait to see who we get next year … maybe Rutgers and St. Johns?
No, the problem with Memphis is coming in for both major sports. We already have way, way too many hoops schools. As I mention above, Tranghese will not be bouncing anyone from Basketball, especially his precious tiny little original schools. And how can we get rid of MU and DePaul so soon? I can imagine what that would cost in lawsuits and ugly publicity.
So we need a program in football only. Navy is the best choice by far for many reasons … academic quality, proximity, recent (decent) success, already an annual ND opponent, etc. But apparently Navy isn’t likely.
Maybe the better bet would be to swallow pride and ask Temple back in for football like they were before. Both sides could easily negotiate how to handle it to save face for both. “Temple has committed itself to improvement, blah blah blah.” What’s more, I don’t think that’s altogether untrue. If Temple could right itself like Rutgers did, I think the Phila. market would embrace it more, like any market embraces a winner. Temple’s problem is that it has been the Pittsburgh Pirates, minus the great stadium and bobbleheads, for the past 20-30 years. It needs a season like RU had 3 years ago.
As for the comments about Penn State to the Big East, please take them from the BigTen. Nothing would make me happier. Penn State has little in common with its western peers and is by far the most difficult BigTen campus to get to.
Finally, to the people complaining about Notre Dame’s special status…welcome to the club!
-BoilerUp!
