Memphis to the Big East??? Really??,

[alexd]

Are they just throwing stuff against the wall here???

Pete Thamel: College Sports Bracing for Another Wave of Realignment

ESPN insider Pete Thamel is sounding the alarm: the college sports landscape is gearing up for another wave of conference realignment, this time beyond the Power Four and spilling into the Group of Five. Thamel noted several aspects of future realignment to focus on, including Texas State’s path...

www.heartlandcollegesports.com

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Yes, looking for clicks.

It would not surprise me if Memphis really wants this to happen but I cannot see any of the private BE schools wanting Memphis in this conference.

 

[KembaKek]

Thamel is not a click farmer. Of the hundreds of morons that cover conference realignment, he’s by far the most trust-worthy voice. Based on what he says though, this sounds like more of Memphis saying this is their plan, not that they have anything set up or approved externally.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I wouldn't worry about this. In the even that this happens, UConn won't be in the Big East anymore.

 

[gtcam]

Nothing Burger
Imagine the religious based schools allowing one of the nation's top scam schools into the fold,,,,,,,,,,,,,
But then again - they let Daddy Pitino and Sean Miller in.

 

[B1GEast]

I would love to see Memphis in the BE.

 

[freescooter]

Memphis would bring some heft to a weak conference. Could we trade for Seton Hall and DePaul 2-1?

 

[uconnbaseball]

I would love to see Memphis in the BE.

For real. Y’all really prefer DePaul and Seton Hall to Memphis??!?

 

[TRest]

For real. Y’all really prefer DePaul and Seton Hall to Memphis??!?

It's not a preference, why add more slop?

 

[Durks07]

Memphis would bring some heft to a weak conference. Could we trade for Seton Hall and DePaul 2-1?

Throw in Butler too.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Memphis has won 20+ games in each of Penny's seven seasons and they made the tournament as a 9-seed or better in three of the last four years. If Memphis joins the BE now, it instantly improves the conference.

 

[bendm]

Crap clickbait “journalism.” Idk what the article is basing the Memphis to the BE rumor on. The Thamel tweet being referenced does not say that. It just says “what’s next for Memphis?”

 

[KingAG]

Memphis has won 20+ games in each of Penny's seven seasons and they made the tournament as a 9-seed or better in three of the last four years. If Memphis joins the BE now, it instantly improves the conference.

Half of the fanbase doesn’t care about being in the best conference possible. They prefer the nostalgia

 

[huskymedic]

Crap clickbait “journalism.” Idk what the article is basing the Memphis to the BE rumor on. The Thamel tweet being referenced does not say that. It just says “what’s next for Memphis?”

All speculation/wish-casting @ this point. From the Conference Realignment Forum discussion: Key tweets, and it's all gone to Hell.

 

[Palatine]

Memphis has more influence than many think because of FED EX money.

 

[upstater]

Are people forgetting that USF and Temple were invited into the BE before Memphis? And DePaul for that matter.

 

[CL82]

Half of the fanbase doesn’t care about being in the best conference possible. They prefer the nostalgia

Or maybe they realize that success is transitory for most programs?

 

[REB1094]

I don’t know what other moves would be happening in tandem, but if it’s just Memphis to the BE and nothing else, I’d take that

They’d pretty comfortably be top 5 in the conference and give us another consistent tournament threat (made 3 of the last 4 tournaments)

Hardaway is sleazy, but the conference has embraced Rick Pitino as one of its star coaches. They’re far, but 2 of our best teams are in Milwaukee and Omaha.

Why is this bad?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Half of the fanbase doesn’t care about being in the best conference possible. They prefer the nostalgia

I don't believe the fanbase gets a vote in whether a school does or does not get added to the BE. The member schools do, and I would wager heavily that at least eight of the current members would vote a very hard no on Memphis.

Would they be among the top 1/3 of the men's basketball conference most years if they were added? Yes. Would any of the current BE schools with smaller student bodies want any affiliation with Memphis? No.

 

[gampelcrazies]

I really don't get why anyone would be against this

 

[HooperScooper]

Would any of the current BE schools with smaller student bodies want any affiliation with Memphis? No.

Why do you say that? As with all this conference realignment stuff it's about money. If the Big East schools think they could make more money with Memphis in the conference then they would vote for it.

 

[shizzle787]

I really don't get why anyone would be against this

Exactly. As long as Memphis is a pro-rata add and agree to an entrance and exit fee structure similar (slightly more expensive) than ours, I think this is a good thing.

As the NCAA expands to 32 games and 76 teams (likely), adding Memphis gives the Big East a lot of flexibility with having anyone of an 18, 20, or 22 game regular season schedule. If the NCAA tournament expands to 76, I would actually vote to keep the double round robin as I think the league would average about six bids per year.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Why do you say that? As with all this conference realignment stuff it's about money. If the Big East schools think they could make more money with Memphis in the conference then they would vote for it.

Walk me through how Memphis will add enough revenue that they would not only cover their share, but there would also be a surplus sufficient to be split eleven ways and still move the needle enough justify the addition.

Memphis has more influence than many think because of FED EX money.

FEDEX is still a publicly traded company. I know Smith has made a number of statements (for more than a decade) about how the company would provide financial support to the school, but what has been provided to date hasn't been close to what he boasted would be given to the school. It is very likely that the board & shareholders have set a limit and the school has received that. Don't get me wrong, it's a good amouny of support, but not earth shattering. If they're going to get something similar to say Oregon, he'll need to pull a Phil Knight and use his own money.

 

[DW1361]

If the BE still had football then perhaps it makes sense, but not for the NBE. To be nice, Memphis may have money, but they still are from the wrong side of the tracks. Let’s keep the BE classy. SJU is as low as I think the BE should go.

 

[AdamaNation]

Memphis would bring some heft to a weak conference. Could we trade for Seton Hall and DePaul 2-1?

Temple would have to be more if a fit right?

 

[Scrutineer]

If the BE still had football then perhaps it makes sense, but not for the NBE. To be nice, Memphis may have money, but they still are from the wrong side of the tracks. Let’s keep the BE classy. SJU is as low as I think the BE should go.

As St. John's proved, "the end justifies the means".

 

[champs99and04]

Half of the fanbase doesn’t care about being in the best conference possible. They prefer the nostalgia

Is the goal to be in the best conference possible or is it to be the best program possible? They are different things.

I'm not dead-set against adding Memphis because it brings a lot to the table from a history/fanbase/recruiting perspective and because it would re-balance the eastern/western pods and bring us back to an even number of teams. The academics aren't ideal, but if we're being honest with ourselves, it probably matters less now than ever. If Stanford & Cal can agree to share a conference with Louisville, we can (and have) share one with Memphis. The Georgetowns and Villanovas of the world won't like it, but on the scale of things that make them queasy about college sports in the year 2025, they've swallowed way worse.

But you use the term nostalgia like you're not one year removed from coasting to back to back titles in the current Big East. You might not get excited to play Seton Hall or DePaul, but you can't build a dominant program and expect every game to feel like the Super Bowl. UConn clearly benefits from being in a conference with this collection of schools, and given its history of conference instability, it should be very judicious about who it adds.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[UConnTrumbull]

There’s already been talk about this on the conference realignment board. For anyone in favor of adding Memphis you must not have been paying attention the last decade or so. Almost every team the Old Big East/AAC brings in jumps UConn for a power conference invitation. Houston, UCF, SMU, Cincy (although they were at least in the mid-2000s Big East). Why throw Memphis a lifeline here? Just to make the Big East slightly, and I mean ever so slightly, better at basketball?

 

[TheDude]

Why do you say that? As with all this conference realignment stuff it's about money. If the Big East schools think they could make more money with Memphis in the conference then they would vote for it.

It would be good for our independent footbal program if we schedule Memphis for football regularly.