Memphis is so desperate.

[CydeofFries]

I'm torn on this tbh. I don't blame the Big12 for not wanting to water down the conference even more with, let's be honest, mid tier talent at best. Good enough to take wins from the top teams, but bad enough to never contend for a title (for football AND basketball). Plus 17 is an odd number so who else do you add and yada yada. How much more unstable does this make everything again? By taking more now do you lose out on other options later?

On the other, Memphis fit geographically and seemingly culturally as another (delivery) "truck stop" type school. And frankly a 16 team conference is too big and too small to be anything other than a frustrating size. Too big to play every team once in football and not twice in basketball, but too small to divide in football or go single round robin in basketball.

I think the Big12 made the right call but really it's not a decision to lose sleep over either way. It certainly would be a fun addition, but probably not profitable.

 

[qwerty]

Per year? Sure!

 

[bluestarcyclone]

On the other, Memphis fit geographically and seemingly culturally as another (delivery) "truck stop" type school.

Honestly i think memphis would be a poor fit in this particular regard. Of course, a lot of the new additions have changed this, but the core culture of the conference that gave it the 'truck stop' moniker was smaller college cities. Ames, Lawrence, Manhattan, Stillwater, Lubbock, Waco etc. Granted, many of the other new additions don't fit this either now.

 

[CyCrazy]

No thanks.

 

[BACyclone]

Does adding Memphis make it more difficult to absorb some of the ACC if and when it falls apart?

Does adding Memphis provide more stability for the league?

Yes, it's less about Memphis in the short term, more about opportunity to nab perceived bigger fish in the next 5 years.

 

[cytor]

If all of the money goes to only ISU, it would be something to think about.

 

[CycloneT]

Never accept the first offer. Doubt this is over

 

[heitclone]

I wouldn't mind adding them but there is no reason to do so now. They will always be an option. Acc would be the only competition for them and they passed on them last year. This news makes it seem like that door is closed for good. Wait for the next reshuffle to reevaluate or wait and squeeze more money out of them.

 

[HouClone]

I'm in the minority, but I always liked Memphis to the Big 12. Good football and basketball, limited pro sports (just basketball), good recruiting area, good fans, trained ducks, Beale Street, Fed Ex/AutoZone money. Until Houston spooked Bowlsby in faking the Pac 12 interest, Memphis was in. The timing to add Memphis is tough now with 16 teams already, perception of adding another G5 school, academic scandal, Fed Ex founder dying, and possible ACC breakup down the road where other teams would be available.

 

[pourcyne]

Yeah, that's a "no".

 

[KnappShack]

I'm in the minority, but I always liked Memphis to the Big 12. Good football and basketball, limited pro sports (just basketball), good recruiting area, good fans, trained ducks, Beale Street, Fed Ex/AutoZone money. Until Houston spooked Bowlsby in faking the Pac 12 interest, Memphis was in. The timing to add Memphis is tough now with 16 teams already, perception of adding another G5 school, academic scandal, Fed Ex founder dying, and possible ACC breakup down the road where other teams would be available.

I'm with you. $200,000,000 is a fun number too.

They've had hoops success.

 

[Cyched]

Yeah, that's a "no".

View attachment 152979

$200M for ISU and a box of Frosted Flakes for every Cyclone athlete, and we’ve got a deal.

 

[CycloneT]

Whatever Memphis offers they’d have to have a second school offer the same.you’re theoretically looking at about $8-10M a year at minimum of extra cash for 5 years per school

 

[KnappShack]

Big 12 takes a pass on the deal.

Good to know the league is made of money

 

[NetflixAndClone]

Conferences are too ******* big.

 

[Sigmapolis]

Of course, if you add memphis, you have to add another or the 9 game conference schedule doesn't work (and if you reduce to 8 you lose that tv inventory which costs money) so memphis's payment has to cover the dilution of the pot that would bring. Plus you water down the product even more. We already have a few schools on or above memphis's level that are really only in the league because they added necessary stability at the time (if the pac-12 schools had been available those may very well have been the only 4 additions)

BYU is a strong addition if you can stomach the Mormon weirdness. We already do with the Baptist weirdness with Baylor, so why not go with it.

Cincinnati had a strong case, too. UCF and UH were definitely just “get some numbers” adds.

 

[pourcyne]

$200M for ISU and a box of Frosted Flakes for every Cyclone athlete, and we’ve got a deal.

Pouncer looks more like a bear than a tiger. Make that 200 mil and a pick-a-nick basket...

 

[Raiders70]

Memphis would have made a lot more sense than UCF. Might make sense for the Big 12 to add Memphis if they could poach Louisville from the ACC to go with them.

 

[cysmiley]

Tell Memphis to find another school that would accept the same terms as they are offering.

 

[clones_jer]

the clause that allows them to get kicked out if they suck is WILD.

I honestly respect the hustle.