News Summary
The Big 12 Conference has rejected the University of Memphis’s proposal to join, stalling the schoolโs long-held aspirations to shift from the American Athletic Conference. Despite a $200 million financial pledge and a bid that included a unique five-year media plan, Memphis faced resistance from current Big 12 members who are wary of diluting the conference’s value. Memphis continues to explore options for growth as it seeks to enhance its athletic program amid ongoing setbacks.
Memphis, TN โ The Big 12 Conference has rejected a proposal from the University of Memphis to join the conference for the third time in a decade, stalling the university’s aspirations to shift from the American Athletic Conference to a Power 4 conference. Despite Memphis officials demonstrating their commitment with a substantial financial pledge of $200 million, the Big 12’s board of presidents opted against expanding their membership.
This decision marks yet another setback for the University of Memphis, whose athletic director, Ed Scott, has made joining a major conference a top priority since he assumed his role in June 2024. Scott has identified both the Big 12 and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) as potential avenues for advancement.
In a noteworthy strategy, Memphis proposed to enter the Big 12 without receiving any media rights payments for the initial five years, a plan dubbed the โSMU model.โ Memphis aimed to enhance the financial appeal by securing substantial corporate sponsorship agreements, highlighting backing from local companies including FedEx, Lowe’s, and AutoZone.
Among the notable commitments, FedEx pledged $25 million over five years to support Memphis athletics, focusing particularly on Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) initiatives. The proposal outlined a multitude of millions in potential corporate sponsorship intended to stabilize the Big 12’s financial outlook while reducing risks associated with adding new members.
However, the Big 12’s existing members expressed apprehensions that integrating Memphis could dilute the conference’s value within future television contracts. Recently, the Big 12 has expanded to absorb teams such as Colorado, Arizona, Utah, UCF, Cincinnati, and Houston, all transitioning from the American Athletic Conference, thus raising concerns about any potential dilution in the value of the conference’s brand.
Memphis’s bid faced additional challenges; the Big 12 requires agreement from 12 of its 16 members to approve any expansion. Some current members remain skeptical of adding new schools after previous members did not perform as expected, leading to hesitance when considering further expansion.
As a response to its ongoing efforts, Memphis took the unconventional route of reaching out directly to Big 12 presidents to pitch its proposal, rather than going through the conventional conference office channels. Also included in the proposal was a clause granting the Big 12 the option to expel Memphis before the next television contract if the institution was deemed insufficiently valuable.
As the situation stands, Memphis continues to explore options for growth, including a football-only membership deal with the Pac-12, although this is not viewed as a long-term solution. Historically, Memphis boasts a competitive menโs basketball program, having made three Final Four appearances and accumulating 29 NCAA tournament appearances. The football program has also maintained success since joining the American in 2013, having notched five seasons with double-digit victories.
Financially, Memphis received $11 million from the American Conference for the current 2023-24 season, the highest amount awarded to any school in the conference. Despite an earlier opportunity to transition to the restructured Pac-12, Memphis declined the invitation last fall, opting instead to pursue membership in a higher-tier conference.
As the Big 12 continues to evaluate its options for expansion, it appears that Memphis’s proposal will not receive further consideration, at least for the time being. The university’s commitment to strengthening its athletic program remains strong, but its ambition to join a major conference faces an uncertain future in light of this rejection.
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Additional Resources
- USA Today
- Wikipedia: University of Memphis
- New York Times
- Google Search: Big 12 Conference expansion
- CBS Sports
- Google Scholar: Memphis athletics
- Commercial Appeal
- Encyclopedia Britannica: American Athletic Conference
- Sports Illustrated
- Google News: Memphis Big 12
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