http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/200...printer=1/

Johnson is joining in chase for Big East
By Geoff Calkins

Sunday, May 18, 2008

There was Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson, working away in Destin, Fla., attending Conference USA's spring meetings, when his phone started to ring and ring and ring.

Everyone wanted to know about a local television report that Memphis officials are in "serious talks" to join the Big East.

Not true, Johnson said.

"I have had no meetings with the Big East," he said.

So that was that. End of story, right?

Except Johnson was almost certainly fudging when he gave that quote. And, let me just say for the record, I couldn't be prouder of the guy.

R.C. Johnson has done some truly impressive things during his 12-year tenure with the school.

He's upgraded the facilities. He's revolutionized fund-raising. He's made some incredibly smart, ambitious hires.

In many decades, that would have been enough to solidify Johnson's legacy as a first-class athletics director.

Not this decade, though.

Now the single most important job of an athletics director is to make certain his or her school is in the right conference. At that critical task, Johnson has failed.

Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida all have left Conference USA for the Big East since Johnson arrived in Memphis. Memphis sent out some really snappy pamphlets, but, stunningly, the Big East was not impressed.

"It was totally a geographic issue," Johnson said in the wake of the decision, and it's likely he was right.

But it didn't feel like Memphis had done everything possible to be included in the Big East, or had even made a particularly forceful case for itself.

I wrote that the Memphis leadership had blown it on this one. Influential boosters felt the same way.

It was maddening, really. Why was Johnson being so stubborn and/or shortsighted?

Asked to name the most important challenge facing Memphis in the coming years, Johnson said, simply, "finances."

Didn't he understand that getting into a BCS conference would change the athletic department's financial outlook instantly? Or did he think the task was just too hard?

"I don't want to raise false hopes," said Johnson.

If in doubt, aim low?

As recently as last August, the university held a press conference to announce a $3 million gift by FedEx to build a new baseball stadium.

I used the occasion to ask FedEx CFO Alan Graf about the Big East.

"I have told both Shirley (Raines) and R.C. -- who needs to lead this effort -- that FedEx thinks we should do something more formal," said Graf.

That column irritated Johnson to no end. He objected to both the timing and the tone.

But here we are, nine months later, and it couldn't be more clear that Johnson has come around.

That's the significance of the Fox 13 report. It's further affirmation that Johnson is taking a very different approach to Big East membership this time.

No, Memphis and the Big East are not in "serious talks." Serious talks take place when both sides have agreed on a certain course and are working on the terms of a deal. Nothing like that is happening between Memphis and the Big East.

The Big East has too many basketball schools (16), for one thing. It isn't about to add one more.

But is it possible that the eight all-sports schools might ultimately decide to split off from the basketball-only schools? Sure. They'd then have to add at least one school (to set up an eight-game football schedule) and as many as four (to set up a Big East championship game).

That kind of split could open a spot for Memphis. If and when it happens, Johnson is making certain the university is prepared.

Which brings us back to Johnson's denial this past week, and to his quote, and to how he almost certainly fudged.

"I have had no meetings with the Big East," said Johnson, and that's probably true.

But what's a "meeting" anyway? Do telephone calls count? How about discussions at a cocktail party?

Let's say that FedEx officials -- and this is purely hypothetical -- chatted up Big East officials at the Final Four. That wouldn't be a meeting, would it?

This much is true: Big East officials are keenly aware that Memphis wants to be a part of the league's future. They also know what Memphis is prepared to do to join the conference and how FedEx could help.

Does that mean Memphis has been in "serious talks" with the Big East?

No.

Lobbying the Big East?

Certainly.

Discussing possibilities with the Big East?

Oh, call it what you will.

I call it evidence that Johnson is doing everything he can to get Memphis into a conference that is worthy of the program. What more can anyone ask?


Go Tigers!!!
Drew

It's still all speculation at this point. I hope a split is coming, but I wouldn't start countin' chickens...

bitcruncher Wrote:It's still all speculation at this point. I hope a split is coming, but I wouldn't start countin' chickens...

I agree bit. I'm kind of wondering if this wasn't a case of ECU and Memphis throwing strong bids towards the Big East and hoping that they bite. But why are they throwing it so hard now? Or why is it becoming public now? Maybe there is a chance of a split, or they think that since 2010 is coming up a split is possible. Who knows.

Well... I guess folks in the south just love their chicken.

Here's another article, which is interesting. On a side note, it's interesting that a lot of Memphis fans and even John Calipari are petitioning to get into the SEC. There is no way that the SEC is going to take Memphis. Not because Memphis isn't good enough, but because the SEC are snobbish and, really, they already have Memphis' market.

Quote:http://www.thememphisedge.com/2008/05/15/


On conference realignment
Posted by Dan Wolken

When wishful thinking is combined with exceptionally vague reporting, the imagination can run wild.

And so it was on Thursday, when the city of Memphis and blogs nationwide were buzzing about Fox 13’s Wednesday night newscast claiming that Memphis was in talks with the Big East about joining the mega-conference.

Immediately, the Commercial Appeal called athletic director R.C. Johnson and Big East officials for the standard denials. Meanwhile, the mere idea of a move was enough to light up message boards and talk radio shows, trying to fill the vast empty spaces left by Fox’s report. How would such a move happen? When would it occur? Those are just two of the many questions that were conveniently left unanswered.

Based on numerous conversations over the course of many weeks, I will offer the following:

Do I think there is merit to the idea that powerful forces representing the interests of Memphis have made overtures to the Big East? Absolutely. In fact, that notion isn’t very new. This is a passage from a story I wrote last March — a somewhat controversial story in Conference USA circles on the day the 2007 league basketball tournament began.

While the Tigers have indeed blossomed into a national power the past two years, the biggest concern among those close to the program is whether that could continue in C-USA should Calipari leave. Calipari nearly took the North Carolina State job last spring and will likely continue to be hotly pursued by major programs that have openings in the future.

For that reason, several prominent boosters advocate Memphis not just position itself for the next conference realignment but to actively pursue membership in another league.

“We are a thoroughbred racehorse right now, and we need to be playing basketball with other thoroughbreds,” said Rick Spell, who sits on the six-member executive committee of the Tiger Athletic Advisory Board.

“Due to John’s magnificent marketing and coaching capabilities, the conference is not a concern. And we like our conference members. These are great universities, but I am concerned if John were to not be our coach, would we be able to maintain the high level that Memphis (fans) would want and feel they deserve?

“For the long-term viability of our basketball program, there needs to be massive Conference USA improvement, which may not be possible. Therefore, we need a conference that can give us a conference of peers.”

But which conference would that be? And how would Memphis get there?

The Big East already passed on Memphis once, and by signing a new TV deal worth more than $200 million with ESPN, its membership appears stable for the foreseeable future. Though it’s easy to envision the league’s eight private, non-football schools — most of whom are currently struggling to compete — eventually splitting off into their own league and opening slots in the Big East, it’s probably a distant scenario.

Though there is no current groundswell of conference movement that could have an impact on Memphis, the dominoes could start falling at any time.

“I believe the landscape will change again, and there will be another opportunity for the University of Memphis to take a shot at a BCS league,” said Alan Graf, executive vice president/CFO at FedEx and a significant Tigers supporter.

“You’ve got Tennessee and Ole Miss, so you wouldn’t think they’d want Memphis in the Southeastern Conference. You hear some about whether Arkansas is leaving or not. You hear a lot of rumors from time to time. Obviously, we’d never be in the Big Ten, but they only have 11 teams and would probably like a 12th, so there are things you could see out there starting a sort of chain reaction.”

In August, my colleague Geoff Calkins reinforced that idea:

But if (R.C.) Johnson is smart, he’ll call (Dave) Bronczek or FedEx CFO Alan Graf before the week is out. The conversation should go something like this.

Johnson: “Now that the baseball stadium is taken care of, I need one more favor.”

FedEx: “Just ask.”

Johnson; “I need one of you to serve on a special blue-ribbon task force I’m putting together to get Memphis into a BCS conference.”

FedEx: “What took you so long?”

That last line isn’t farfetched, either, after what Graf said about such a task force Thursday.

“I have told both Shirley (Raines) and R.C. — who need to lead this effort — that FedEx thinks we should do something more formal,” he said. “We would be ready and willing to be involved.”

So, in other words, I (and well-connected sources I speak with regularly) have no doubt that some of this has taken place.

But the devil’s in the details.

At this point — at least until there’s some evidence that the entire college sports landscape is about to change — it’s hard to see these supposed conversations as anything more than jockeying for position.

Given the Big East’s current configuration — 8 for football, 16 for basketball — there simply isn’t room for a Memphis all-sports membership unless somebody like Rutgers, Syracuse or Notre Dame leaves for the Big 10 or the Big East is getting ready to split up into a 9-team or 12-team all-sports conference. And if that’s about to happen, Fox 13 is way, way, way, way, way out in front on the nation’s biggest college sports story of the last couple years and doesn’t even know it. And even at that, it’s practically impossible for the conferences to start the revolving door until 2010.

Here’s what Memphis fans should be focused on right now. Given what happened in the last round of conference realignment — the perception among people that matter is that Memphis didn’t necessarily put it’s best foot forward in its argument to get into the Big East — I have no doubt that the school is going to be extremely well-prepared the next time.

The general speculation is that there will be a comprehensive push, once the sands begin to shift, which would probably include the Liberty Bowl and a major FedEx sponsorship package. Until then, there’s not much to do but wait for the dominoes to start falling.

The University of Tennessee in Knoxville, which is almost as far away from Memphis as Morgantown, owns the entire State of Tennessee. Shoot, at Vandy home games there are more UT fans than there are Vandy fans. I figure it ain't much different for UT games in Memphis.

A 2 year notice is required by the C-USA. It is getting pretty close to 2010 not be realistic. My guess is the split will happen in 2013 (earliest) when the T.V contract is up. At that point they would have more details on the expansion teams.

KNIGHTTIME Wrote:A 2 year notice is required by the C-USA. It is getting pretty close to 2010 not be realistic.

Precisely why we have been saying since 2005 that if there is to be a split for 2010, the rumors would begin in May of 2008.

Quote:My guess is the split will happen in 2013 (earliest) when the T.V contract is up. At that point they would have more details on the expansion teams.

I agree that the BE football schools would prefer not to have to consider a split until the current TV contracts run out.

However, the get-out-of-jail-free card only runs through 2010.

Are the Memphis and ECU rumors more about getting that card extended? Or are they the result of the bb schools refusing to extend the card?

I think we will know more after the Big East meetings.

Cheers,
Neil

CatsClaw Wrote:Here's another article, which is interesting. On a side note, it's interesting that a lot of Memphis fans and even John Calipari are petitioning to get into the SEC. There is no way that the SEC is going to take Memphis. Not because Memphis isn't good enough, but because the SEC are snobbish and, really, they already have Memphis' market.

The more important reason is because our neighbors Ole Miss, Miss State, Tennessee, and Arkansas are deathly afraid of the prospect of recruiting against us on a level playing field. Those 4 schools will NEVER agree to admitting Memphis. They don't want us in the Big East either, for the same reason. Things are liable to get mighty interesting in this neck of the woods.

Gray Avenger Wrote:

CatsClaw Wrote:Here's another article, which is interesting. On a side note, it's interesting that a lot of Memphis fans and even John Calipari are petitioning to get into the SEC. There is no way that the SEC is going to take Memphis. Not because Memphis isn't good enough, but because the SEC are snobbish and, really, they already have Memphis' market.

The more important reason is because our neighbors Ole Miss, Miss State, Tennessee, and Arkansas are deathly afraid of the prospect of recruiting against us on a level playing field. Those 4 schools will NEVER agree to admitting Memphis. They don't want us in the Big East either, for the same reason. Things are liable to get mighty interesting in this neck of the woods.

Which is why Calipari and the Memphis fans should go all out for the Big East, if they want to go to a current BCS conference. Memphis is in a similar situation to the SEC as Cincinnati was to the Big Ten. Memphis even moreso because Memphis can cause more trouble for the SEC as Cincinnati has caused for the Big Ten.

CatsClaw Wrote:

Gray Avenger Wrote:

CatsClaw Wrote:Here's another article, which is interesting. On a side note, it's interesting that a lot of Memphis fans and even John Calipari are petitioning to get into the SEC. There is no way that the SEC is going to take Memphis. Not because Memphis isn't good enough, but because the SEC are snobbish and, really, they already have Memphis' market.

The more important reason is because our neighbors Ole Miss, Miss State, Tennessee, and Arkansas are deathly afraid of the prospect of recruiting against us on a level playing field. Those 4 schools will NEVER agree to admitting Memphis. They don't want us in the Big East either, for the same reason. Things are liable to get mighty interesting in this neck of the woods.

Memphis is in a similar situation to the SEC as Cincinnati was to the Big Ten.

Ditto for East Carolina and the ACC. Just another way for the man to keep a Tiger/Pirate/Bearcat down.

PirateMarv Wrote:

CatsClaw Wrote:

Gray Avenger Wrote:

CatsClaw Wrote:Here's another article, which is interesting. On a side note, it's interesting that a lot of Memphis fans and even John Calipari are petitioning to get into the SEC. There is no way that the SEC is going to take Memphis. Not because Memphis isn't good enough, but because the SEC are snobbish and, really, they already have Memphis' market.

The more important reason is because our neighbors Ole Miss, Miss State, Tennessee, and Arkansas are deathly afraid of the prospect of recruiting against us on a level playing field. Those 4 schools will NEVER agree to admitting Memphis. They don't want us in the Big East either, for the same reason. Things are liable to get mighty interesting in this neck of the woods.

Memphis is in a similar situation to the SEC as Cincinnati was to the Big Ten.

Ditto for East Carolina and the ACC. Just another way for the man to keep a Tiger/Pirate/Bearcat down.

No question! In fact, I think I mentioned what you said in another thread, I can't remember which. Having ECU would be sweet because it would screw with the Carolina schools in the ACC.

bitcruncher Wrote:The University of Tennessee in Knoxville, which is almost as far away from Memphis as Morgantown, owns the entire State of Tennessee. Shoot, at Vandy home games there are more UT fans than there are Vandy fans. I figure it ain't much different for UT games in Memphis.

At the few games UT has "lowered itself" to play Memphis, the crowd has usually been split fairly evenly, which isn't bad when one considers the SEC fans of other SEC teams residing in the Memphis area (many of who attend any SEC game in Memphis). I think the city of Memphis (and local press) supports its local University as well as any major urban center with a 1a school, certainly for one without a BCS school (maybe the best).

Just look at baskefball and you see what our support for a BCS football team will be. Not much to compare with Vandy, UT has always dominated that market, and having the Titans doesn't help either.

P.S. UM is not that much smaller than UT (neither is MTSU for that matter) and UM has many alumni in the Memphis/mid-south region who will be energized for a BCS team (like they have been for basketball). Also, I think the brand name (BCS/B.E. B12 whoever) would attract many SEC alumni who usually only attend bigger Memphis games eg with UL or an SEC team.

UT's student population is around 35,000 now. Is Memphis that large too?

I would compare Memphis' fan support against Tennessee to the situation UofL has in state with UK.

army56mike Wrote:I would compare Memphis' fan support against Tennessee to the situation UofL has in state with UK.

I think that's a perfect comparison.

UofMemphis Wrote:http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/200...printer=1/

Johnson is joining in chase for Big East
By Geoff Calkins

Sunday, May 18, 2008

There was Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson, working away in Destin, Fla., attending Conference USA's spring meetings, when his phone started to ring and ring and ring.

Everyone wanted to know about a local television report that Memphis officials are in "serious talks" to join the Big East.

Not true, Johnson said.

"I have had no meetings with the Big East," he said.

So that was that. End of story, right?

Except Johnson was almost certainly fudging when he gave that quote. And, let me just say for the record, I couldn't be prouder of the guy.

R.C. Johnson has done some truly impressive things during his 12-year tenure with the school.

He's upgraded the facilities. He's revolutionized fund-raising. He's made some incredibly smart, ambitious hires.

In many decades, that would have been enough to solidify Johnson's legacy as a first-class athletics director.

Not this decade, though.

Now the single most important job of an athletics director is to make certain his or her school is in the right conference. At that critical task, Johnson has failed.

Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida all have left Conference USA for the Big East since Johnson arrived in Memphis. Memphis sent out some really snappy pamphlets, but, stunningly, the Big East was not impressed.

"It was totally a geographic issue," Johnson said in the wake of the decision, and it's likely he was right.

But it didn't feel like Memphis had done everything possible to be included in the Big East, or had even made a particularly forceful case for itself.

I wrote that the Memphis leadership had blown it on this one. Influential boosters felt the same way.

It was maddening, really. Why was Johnson being so stubborn and/or shortsighted?

Asked to name the most important challenge facing Memphis in the coming years, Johnson said, simply, "finances."

Didn't he understand that getting into a BCS conference would change the athletic department's financial outlook instantly? Or did he think the task was just too hard?

"I don't want to raise false hopes," said Johnson.

If in doubt, aim low?

As recently as last August, the university held a press conference to announce a $3 million gift by FedEx to build a new baseball stadium.

I used the occasion to ask FedEx CFO Alan Graf about the Big East.

"I have told both Shirley (Raines) and R.C. -- who needs to lead this effort -- that FedEx thinks we should do something more formal," said Graf.

That column irritated Johnson to no end. He objected to both the timing and the tone.

But here we are, nine months later, and it couldn't be more clear that Johnson has come around.

That's the significance of the Fox 13 report. It's further affirmation that Johnson is taking a very different approach to Big East membership this time.

No, Memphis and the Big East are not in "serious talks." Serious talks take place when both sides have agreed on a certain course and are working on the terms of a deal. Nothing like that is happening between Memphis and the Big East.

The Big East has too many basketball schools (16), for one thing. It isn't about to add one more.

But is it possible that the eight all-sports schools might ultimately decide to split off from the basketball-only schools? Sure. They'd then have to add at least one school (to set up an eight-game football schedule) and as many as four (to set up a Big East championship game).

That kind of split could open a spot for Memphis. If and when it happens, Johnson is making certain the university is prepared.

Which brings us back to Johnson's denial this past week, and to his quote, and to how he almost certainly fudged.

"I have had no meetings with the Big East," said Johnson, and that's probably true.

But what's a "meeting" anyway? Do telephone calls count? How about discussions at a cocktail party?

Let's say that FedEx officials -- and this is purely hypothetical -- chatted up Big East officials at the Final Four. That wouldn't be a meeting, would it?

This much is true: Big East officials are keenly aware that Memphis wants to be a part of the league's future. They also know what Memphis is prepared to do to join the conference and how FedEx could help.

Does that mean Memphis has been in "serious talks" with the Big East?

No.

Lobbying the Big East?

Certainly.

Discussing possibilities with the Big East?

Oh, call it what you will.

I call it evidence that Johnson is doing everything he can to get Memphis into a conference that is worthy of the program. What more can anyone ask?


Go Tigers!!!
Drew

I'm reading a lot of opinion and hypotheticals in that article; perhaps the title is a little misleading to sell some newspapers?

Shouldn't the title read "Johnson PROBABLY is joining in chase for Big East"???

CardHouse Wrote:I'm reading a lot of opinion and hypotheticals in that article; perhaps the title is a little misleading to sell some newspapers?

Shouldn't the title read "Johnson PROBABLY is joining in chase for Big East"???

Nothing very original here either. Reads like he took it straight from these boards.

bitcruncher Wrote:The University of Tennessee in Knoxville, which is almost as far away from Memphis as Morgantown, owns the entire State of Tennessee. Shoot, at Vandy home games there are more UT fans than there are Vandy fans. I figure it ain't much different for UT games in Memphis.

bitcruncher, you are wrong about Memphis. As armymike and Cat's Claw have stated, it's much more like Louisville-UK. UK may own most of the state and may have plenty of fans in the Louisville area, but UL is still #1 in Louisville. The same can be said for Memphis-UT.

Regarding your question about the enrollement, Memphis enrollement is right at 20,379 in Fall 2007. This is from the website:

Enrollment (for Fall 2007)
Total 20,379
Undergraduate 15,802
Graduate (3,277 masters + 889 doctoral) = 4,166
Law School 411
Full-time 67%
Part-time 33%
Men 38%
Women 62%

I'd be willing to bet it's just like WVU-Marshall - amplified.