In 2008, #1 Memphis faced off against #2 Tennessee in an intense rivalry game in mid-February at a sold-out Fedex Forum. Derrick Rose had 23 points, and Chris Douglas-Roberts added 14. Yet, unfortunately, the volunteers pulled off the victory 66-62. All eyes were on Memphis and Tennessee that night. Two teams with an intense rivalry across all sports. Two fanbases that absolutely hate each other. Yet, they don’t play each other anymore.
History of the Rivalry
The Memphis vs. Tennessee basketball rivalry commenced in the 1969-1970 season, as the Tigers fell 51-72 to the Vols. Since then, the rivalry between the two teams has grown into an intense, nasty rivalry, often dividing families, friends and both fanbases. Tennessee holds a slight advantage over Memphis winning 15 of the 27 total meetings.
However, Memphis has dominated the series winning four of the past five meetings between the two schools. Most recently, in 2019, #13 Memphis traveled to Knoxville and won 51-47. The last meeting in the contract between the two schools was supposed to occur in 2021 at a neutral site in Nashville, TN, but COVID-19 ruined that. Tennessee and Memphis have yet to play again in basketball.
Should it Come Back?
It’s an utter disgrace that Memphis and Tennessee don’t play every year in every sport. The games are always intense. The fans hate each other. The coaches hate each other. The players hate each other. So, why don’t they play each other?
What Happened to the Rivalry?
In 2013, Memphis beat Tennessee in Knoxville, TN by a score of 85-80. It was a relatively comfortable win for Memphis. The Memphis vs. Tennessee rivalry didn’t occur in basketball again until December 15, 2018.
After Memphis’ 102-92 loss to Tennessee inside the FedEx Forum in 2018, tempers flared between the players and the coaches. Jordan Bone of Tennessee and Alex Lomax of Memphis got into it toward the end of the game, as accusations of flopping and trash-talking spewed from both sides. The trash-talk continued after the game, as Penny Hardaway accused Tennessee players of coming over to Memphis’ sideline with their “fists balled.” He concluded his post-game remarks by telling Rick Barnes to “get the f*** out of here,” which caused a stir among the national media.
HC Penny Hardaway and Memphis continued to live rent-free in the heads of Tennessee fans and players, with back-and-forths occurring on social media into the 2019-2020 season. In December 2019, Memphis got the last word beating Tennessee on the road 51-47. Memphis and Tennessee haven’t met since then.
What’s Next?
There aren’t currently any contracts in place to continue the Memphis vs. Tennessee basketball rivalry. Memphis HC Penny Hardaway has publicly stated his intention to restore the rivalry. However, it seems as if Tennessee basketball HC Rick Barnes does not share similar sentiments. Whatever the disagreement is, it needs to be resolved. The Memphis vs. Tennessee rivalry needs to be brought back in basketball and in every other sport as well. Make. It. Happen.
