In the last wave of conference realignment powerhouses Texas and Oklahoma would elect to join the SEC. Leaving the Big 12 in a tough position on how to keep their conference alive. BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF all received invites to join. Meanwhile, the Tigers would be left in the American Athletic that would also have to find new schools to add after. Things have calmed down recently, but don’t expect that to last much longer. Where does Memphis stand this go around and what outside factors will affect where Memphis ends up?
The Pac 12 Situation
Last realignment season we saw the Big 10 got out west for the first time adding UCLA and USC. The Pac 12 currently hasn’t added any new schools to replace them and is yet to sign a TV deal. Lots of Pac 12 teams are currently in talks to jump ship to a new home. It would be likely to see the Big 10 go after Oregon and Washington, easily giving them the 4 biggest former Pac 12 brands.
Leaving the 4 corner schools: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah as basically free agents. Could the Big 10 try to sweep them all up at once? Possibly, however it seems they are trying to make more small calculated moves. I could see the Big 12 adding the 4 corner schools in the next go round if they would all join. If Oregon and Washington left the Pac 12, I assume that they all would in a heartbeat.
This would seem to leave Memphis out of the next expansion for the Big 12. The only positive this time is that every other Group of 5 team would also not be chosen this go around either.
Pac 12 Remains in Tact
If the Pac 12 we’re to keep it’s current teams committed to stay in the conference, that changes the conversation for Memphis. Memphis would easily be at the top of schools from the Group of 5 that could potentially be invited up. I would like to see both Memphis and Boise State get invites in this scenario.
Joining the Big 12 in this scenario would change everything we have ever thought about Memphis Football. They would finally be playing with the big dawgs on a consistent basis, and would have a much better bowl game selection. In Basketball, Memphis would be in a top 3 basketball league in the country every single year. The Tigers would also definitely get more respect from the committee when it comes to seeding.
Big 12 Isn’t the Only Option
One conference I don’t see Memphis fans bring up enough as a potential landing spot is the ACC. Let’s say that the ACC gets a few schools such as Clemson and Virginia picked off by the SEC. I feel Memphis could potentially be next in line to get an invite. Memphis would already have a rival in Louisville and would fit in nicely with schools like NC State and Georgia Tech.
This would be a dream scenario for every Tiger basketball fan. Most of the factors involved are out of Memphis’s hands, but if the opportunity would arise the administration should actively try to get in the door.
Overall
Memphis is in a unique situation currently. If a Power 5 conference we’re to look to add some Group of 5 schools, Memphis would be at the top of the list. What if the next conference realignment wave is just a shifting of power 5 schools? This would not mean that Memphis would be getting left behind again. However, this time they would just stay put along with everyone else near them.
