Memphis is joining the Big East

[Rumrunner]

Memphis and the Big East Conference are in the final stages of negotiations to make the Tigers an all-sports member of the Big East beginning in 2013, college football industry sources told CBSSports.com.
The Tigers would join the Big East with three other Conference USA members – Houston, SMU and UCF – for the 2013-14 school year. The Big East also will add Boise State and San Diego State as football-only members in 2013 and Navy in 2015.

http://brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/view/29532522

Memphis Tigers, the pride of Big East football!!!! That MWC/BE/CUSA merger finally is happening.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

I don't think the Big East had any better options at this point and this will help keep the perception of the basketball product as being among the top tier of conferences. Good move by the Big East. Their football should improve by moving up, we should get the Liberty Bowl tie in, and Memphis is a decent sized market and recruiting area.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

What a sad state of affairs we are now in! Memphis?!

This has become a bait and switch from when we upgraded to D1-A. Instead of joining the Big East as we hoped, we have now officially joined what was CUSA. Ugh!

 

[SAMCRO]

Awesome. We don't have any schools with the nickname "Tigers", so we needed that. I mean, that is how we're going about selecting teams right, by non-conflicting nicknames or mascots?

 

[Dann]

lville will go soon and so will the bball schools. our march toward a 16 team all sports conf is almost done.

uconn/ruty/navy/temple/cincy/usf/ucf/ecu
bosie/sdsu//uh/smu/mem/?/?

byu/utahst/nevada/unlv/fresno will be looked at

 

[HartbeatHusky]

Awesome. We don't have any schools with the nickname "Tigers", so we needed that. I mean, that is how we're going about selecting teams right, by non-conflicting nicknames or mascots?

Can't be because we doubled up on Knights and almost on Cougars.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

lville will go soon and so will the bball schools. our march toward a 16 team all sports conf is almost done.

uconn/ruty/navy/temple/cincy/usf/ucf/ecu
bosie/sdsu//uh/smu/mem/?/?

byu/utahst/nevada/unlv/fresno will be looked at

The basketball schools aren't going anywhere.

 

[Dann]

btw how mad is ecu at this point? i mean memphis got a spot before them. just shows the mk is worth more...

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

btw how mad is ecu at this point? i mean memphis got a spot before them. just shows the mk is worth more...

Plus, like UConn, geography is working against them. The Big East needed a team for the 'Western Division'. Therefore, Memphis gets the nod.

Just like if UConn wasn't cornered in the NE where the ACC has all the power, UConn would already be in one of the power BCS conferences. Maybe we can open up some satelitte campuses in the Midwest or down South!

 

[Rondogg]

Welcome Memphis. Wow these are weird times.

 

[Rumrunner]

"It is a play performed in a theater with many more empty seats than patrons, an institution with a peculiar place in the local psyche, and -- especially in recent years -- the butt of civic jokes.
It is University of Memphis football. It is a program with an undistinguished past and a tenuous future.
But what is it?
Nearing its 100th anniversary season, in a stretch of losing not seen in three decades, at a time of unprecedented shifts on the college landscape, it's a question worth evaluating now more than ever. Big East or Conference USA, Bowl Subdivision or Championship Subdivision, it's hard to deny an ever-present question surrounding the Tigers: Is Memphis a program at a crossroads?"
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/nov/06/university-of-memphis-football-at-crossroads/

Good read on how pathetic Memphis football is. Like really really pathetic, from support, facilities, local attachment, etc. It is a bankrupt program in a poor, urban school, but it is now the Pride of the Big East!!!

Marinatto is a genius. How in the world did he persuade Memphis to join? Imagine the arm twisting that he had to have done? I mean, I hope he didn't bribe the Memphis administrators and trustees. Truly remarkable. Where was his inspiration?

 

[Dann]

The basketball schools aren't going anywhere.

why do u think that?

bc/miami/vt wern't going anywhere
then cuse and pitt wern't going anywhere
then wvu would never goto another unstable conf and pull huge strings and lose $ to do so
lville isn't going anywhere right?

the bball schools rode the fball schools for $$ as long as they could and there pasta eating leadaer RU-end the big east. not with all these fball adds that at best are ok games vs bball onlys, tv $ won't pay for them like they did for cuse/pitt/wvu vs bball onlys. time for them to put a 10 team bball only conf together and have there own tv contract and be happy elsewhere. u think nova and gtown like being in a conf with bosie and memphis? if they want to play those schools for a ooc game they can make a phone call. they don't want there school logo on the same tshirt as those schools.

prov/gt/nova/sju/dep/marq/shu/xavier/?/? thats your future league. a 18 game h/a league that plays at some prime times and some weird times and espn gets alot of tv time and the schools get $3mil a year. happy campers all around.

 

[gioff23]

The real Qs

1. will they be added for 12 (replacing WVU) or '13?
2. do we hear on thursday that the BE has caved and that WVU is free to go now, for a few sheckels of course?
2. When does Temple come in to replace the Ville?
3. how do we get out of this mess?

the sad part is that the conference has the potential to be better and stronger, but lacks vision

 

[gioff23]

On another note, and in fairness to all new members, we need to evaluate them on their future prospects, and not their past records. Can UM rise from the ashes with a BE logo on their field? If you were not a UConn fan, you would have been skeptical that UConn was a major add to the BE last decade. On that basis alone, we have to give other teams the benefit of the doubt and assume they will advance (a la UConn and Ville) w/BE membership, and not continue to be mired in mediocrity. There is no reason UM can not thrive on the field.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

btw how mad is ecu at this point? i mean memphis got a spot before them. just shows the mk is worth more...

Market and just plain brand recognition. At least Memphis hoops is somewhat of a brand name. ECU has a decent fan base and has been OK at football but have zero brand recognition nationally.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

why do u think that?

I'm still not seeing how they would make more money by leaving. It's all about money. I think the basketball schools are happy about playing basketball with Memphis.

 

[Adios]

Memphis is the 18th largest city in the US.

 

[metsfan2323]

On another note, and in fairness to all new members, we need to evaluate them on their future prospects, and not their past records. Can UM rise from the ashes with a BE logo on their field? If you were not a UConn fan, you would have been skeptical that UConn was a major add to the BE last decade. On that basis alone, we have to give other teams the benefit of the doubt and assume they will advance (a la UConn and Ville) w/BE membership, and not continue to be mired in mediocrity. There is no reason UM can not thrive on the field.

I totally agree. Memphis just hired the former TCU offensive coordinator, there has also been talk in the past about fedex money being invested into the program. All programs go through up and down cycles, hopefully Memphis football is now on the uptick.

 

[Dann]

I'm still not seeing how they would make more money by leaving. It's all about money.

they can take nd butler and xavier and form a 10 team league. all they would lose from the BE is games vs uconn. $$ at worst thats a wash but i bet them playing each other twice instead of smu and ucf would be better $$ wise for them. if uconn games are important then they will ooc them for tv $$. they are gone soon after lville.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

they can take nd butler and xavier and form a 10 team league. all they would lose from the BE is games vs uconn. $$ at worst thats a wash but i bet them playing each other twice instead of smu and ucf would be better $$ wise for them. if uconn games are important then they will ooc them for tv $$. they are gone soon after lville.

Just don't see it happening. I could be wrong but I think the money would be significantly less and there's no guarantee that ND goes with them.

 

[MattMang23]

Wish it were UNLV instead. My buddies get rooms comped at MGM properties.

 

[SubbaBub]

We didn't join Conference USA, Conference USA joined us.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Didn't see this coming. Not sure why we added Memphis instead of doing something non-linear like upgrading UMass or Delaware. Temple must be pissed. Better city, better football program, better basketball program.​

 

[HartbeatHusky]

Didn't see this coming. Not sure why we added Memphis instead of doing something non-linear like upgrading UMass or Delaware. Temple must be pissed. Better city, better football program, better basketball program.​

The program had to be far enough west to play in the western division. Nova is still probably blackmailing Temple saying Temple won't get in for all-sports without a Nova upgrade. Delaware has no market or recruiting base and wouldn't be ready for 2013 since they are FCS and UMass is UMass. It's not time to resort to the UMass option.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

Wish it were UNLV instead. My buddies get rooms comped at MGM properties.

I hope we add them too. Why leave any decent markets and known brands on the table at this point?