http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nca.../72661048/

Interesting that even USA Today recognizes this:

"Should the Big 12 expand at some point, Memphis could argue it fits the league geographically, sits on prized recruiting turf and would allow the league to plant a flag in the heart of SEC country."

(09-24-2015 02:32 PM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nca.../72661048/

Interesting that even USA Today recognizes this:

"Should the Big 12 expand at some point, Memphis could argue it fits the league geographically, sits on prized recruiting turf and would allow the league to plant a flag in the heart of SEC country."

I could definitely see Memphis in the Big 12 if the Big 12 ever chooses to expand with a G5 school or 2.

I have strongly thought Memphis should be in the Big 12 also thought Southern Miss, Houston, and Tulane or Louisiana Big 12 needs to stop being a victim and start claiming some SEC land.

Also have thought the SEC should take East Carolina to put a team in the heart of the ACC. Split up the main ACC state and watch the SEC become dominate on the south Atlantic.

(09-24-2015 02:32 PM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  Interesting that even USA Today recognizes this:

"Should the Big 12 expand at some point, Memphis could argue it fits the league geographically, sits on prized recruiting turf and would allow the league to plant a flag in the heart of SEC country."

Not sure how interesting this is. Nobody has ever denied that Memphis "could" argue those things, the issue is whether those arguments make any sense.

IMO, they all fall far short: The Big 12 is a mid/southwest league, Memphis is a southern school. Memphis sits on prized recruiting turf, but that turf is thoroughly dominated by the SEC. Inviting Memphis would allow the Big 12 to "plant a flag" in SEC territory, but that would be like me planting my finger in the middle of a fire ant nest. Not much profit to be gained in doing that. You should only plant your flag someplace if you really can hold that ground.

(09-24-2015 02:32 PM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nca.../72661048/

Interesting that even USA Today recognizes this:

"Should the Big 12 expand at some point, Memphis could argue it fits the league geographically, sits on prized recruiting turf and would allow the league to plant a flag in the heart of SEC country."

I've always thought that the Big 12 should be proactive and bring in Memphis and Cincy. 2 pretty valuable G5 programs who can compete in football and basketball.

(09-24-2015 03:22 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(09-24-2015 02:32 PM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  Interesting that even USA Today recognizes this:

"Should the Big 12 expand at some point, Memphis could argue it fits the league geographically, sits on prized recruiting turf and would allow the league to plant a flag in the heart of SEC country."

Not sure how interesting this is. Nobody has ever denied that Memphis "could" argue those things, the issue is whether those arguments make any sense.

IMO, they all fall far short: The Big 12 is a mid/southwest league, Memphis is a southern school. Memphis sits on prized recruiting turf, but that turf is thoroughly dominated by the SEC. Inviting Memphis would allow the Big 12 to "plant a flag" in SEC territory, but that would be like me planting my finger in the middle of a fire ant nest. Not much profit to be gained in doing that. You should only plant your flag someplace if you really can hold that ground.

You are letting your hatred get in the way of logic. Look at it like this:

1. New TV market. Look at the Rutgers add, all you need is to be in the market.
2. Recruiting. It's not about the Memphis brand. It's about school like Texas and OU being able to tell recruiting hey we go to Memphis every other year so you can see your family. The Memphis brand would also benefit from this.
3. Memphis basketball would be a benefit to the Big 12.

Quo also something you fail to realize is that fans are not as loyal as you would like to think they are. Tennessee's glory days are over there is too much competition in the SEC for them to ever be consistently on top.

If you threw Memphis into the Big 12 and people got the chance to see them play teams they have heard of and win people would switch very fast.

These are all "coulda" scenarios but you can't say they don't make sense.

What has Memphis done to deserve a P5 invite? Utah, Louisville, TCU all earned theirs. Cincy should be P5 right now if the Big 12 would wake up. But Memphis?

(09-24-2015 03:22 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(09-24-2015 02:32 PM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  Interesting that even USA Today recognizes this:

"Should the Big 12 expand at some point, Memphis could argue it fits the league geographically, sits on prized recruiting turf and would allow the league to plant a flag in the heart of SEC country."

Not sure how interesting this is. Nobody has ever denied that Memphis "could" argue those things, the issue is whether those arguments make any sense.

IMO, they all fall far short: The Big 12 is a mid/southwest league, Memphis is a southern school. Memphis sits on prized recruiting turf, but that turf is thoroughly dominated by the SEC. Inviting Memphis would allow the Big 12 to "plant a flag" in SEC territory, but that would be like me planting my finger in the middle of a fire ant nest. Not much profit to be gained in doing that. You should only plant your flag someplace if you really can hold that ground.

If the Big 12 tries to get its number to match its name, Memphis is on the list of possibles. I would guess its a pretty short list at this point-BYU, Houston, Memphis, Cincinnati, UCF and maybe USF. All have things going for them and all have strikes against.

Yeah sure whatever just get out so NIU can take your place =)

(09-24-2015 04:27 PM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  

(09-24-2015 03:22 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(09-24-2015 02:32 PM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  Interesting that even USA Today recognizes this:

"Should the Big 12 expand at some point, Memphis could argue it fits the league geographically, sits on prized recruiting turf and would allow the league to plant a flag in the heart of SEC country."

Not sure how interesting this is. Nobody has ever denied that Memphis "could" argue those things, the issue is whether those arguments make any sense.

IMO, they all fall far short: The Big 12 is a mid/southwest league, Memphis is a southern school. Memphis sits on prized recruiting turf, but that turf is thoroughly dominated by the SEC. Inviting Memphis would allow the Big 12 to "plant a flag" in SEC territory, but that would be like me planting my finger in the middle of a fire ant nest. Not much profit to be gained in doing that. You should only plant your flag someplace if you really can hold that ground.

You are letting your hatred get in the way of logic. Look at it like this:

1. New TV market. Look at the Rutgers add, all you need is to be in the market.

If the market is New York City, then that's true because the market is so vast that even a sliver is a lot of people. But when its Memphis, no, you have to dominate that market. Memphis doesn't.

2. Recruiting. It's not about the Memphis brand. It's about school like Texas and OU being able to tell recruiting hey we go to Memphis every other year so you can see your family. The Memphis brand would also benefit from this.

Texas and OU already have the greatest recruiting ground in the world, it's called "Texas". No way will they share $40 million with Memphis just to lose out to Tennessee or Alabama on the occasional 4-star Memphis city recruit.

3. Memphis basketball would be a benefit to the Big 12.

Sure, but that and a nickel will buy a piece of bubble gum, or at least did when I was a kid. Memphis basketball hasn't exactly dominated the AAC either has it? And the AAC is about the 7th or 8th best basketball conference.

Quo also something you fail to realize is that fans are not as loyal as you would like to think they are. Tennessee's glory days are over there is too much competition in the SEC for them to ever be consistently on top.

Tennessee still draws what, almost 100,000 fans per game. And that's for a team that has been in the dumps for a few years now. Hard to interpret that as a lack of loyalty.

If you threw Memphis into the Big 12 and people got the chance to see them play teams they have heard of and win people would switch very fast.

People would switch from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Tennessee, and Arkansas to .... Memphis? Really?

These are all "coulda" scenarios but you can't say they don't make sense.

I have zero "hatred" of Memphis. Have been invited to the campus a couple of times and have loved my time there. Nice campus, fun city. Is there a rivalry in terms of USF and Memphis trying to position for a P5 invite? Sure, but that hardly translates into hatred.

I just call it as I see it.

If anything, B12 folds before they expand. IMHO, dead conference walking.