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Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - 3601 - 03-11-2008 10:36 AM
It was said on local radio this morning by a local sports columnist that word is that R.C. Johnson and an executive from FedEx recently met with Mike Tranghese.
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - Orange Eagles - 03-11-2008 10:46 AM
How is this a rumor? I don't get the significance of this.
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - CardinalJim - 03-11-2008 11:09 AM
Orange Eagles Wrote:How is this a rumor? I don't get the significance of this.
The significance of this is that this is confirmation of increased dialogue between the Big East and Memphis. Since Tranghese is involved it could mean a number of different things. He could be doing preliminary work for discussions about expansion that will be addressed at the Big East meetings.
Scheduling problems in football and basketball relate to expansion or a split. It's the elephant in the room that the Big East has to deal with. It's a well known fact that before Louisville was ever invited to join the Big East that Tranghese and Jurich had opened dialogue. Jurich was also invited to attend Big East meetings. If we hear the same thing with RC, it will be a good sign for Memphis and the Big East.
We need to begin looking to see if Memphis has reps at the Big East tournament and meetings.
Thanks 3601 for posting this here. Memphis to the Big East topics are always welcome here.
CJ
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - Ring of Black - 03-11-2008 11:19 AM
CardinalJim Wrote:Thanks 3601 for posting this here. Memphis to the Big East topics are always welcome here.
Ditto Jim
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - MU88 - 03-11-2008 11:37 AM
Or, it could have been Memphis simply asking, "What does Memphis have to do to get in the BE?" or giving a presentation to MT about of all the wonderful things happening at Memphis to put a bug in MT's ear. A good AD should do the leg work so their school doesn't get left behind if there is another major shakeup.
I just can't see the BE adding any new full members at this point in time, no matter what the fans of the football schools are preaching. If the conference splits, maybe. Now, maybe a football only membership. I would think UCF would be the favorite, but I could see Memphis trying to make a case.
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - usffan - 03-11-2008 11:39 AM
3601 Wrote:It was said on local radio this morning by a local sports columnist that word is that R.C. Johnson and an executive from FedEx recently met with Mike Tranghese.
No doubt spread by Johnson himself. I wonder if there's anybody on the planet who has a harder time keeping his mouth shut than Memphis' AD.
Understand that this isn't a rip on Memphis, or a lack of appreciation of you providing this information, but USF fans certainly have heard more than enough blathering from Johnson to last us a lifetime.
"South Florida will NEVER be a candidate for Big East expansion." - R.C. Johnson
USFFan
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - TegaCayCard - 03-11-2008 11:56 AM
Well let's talk about this a little more. UL just signed a two year football deal with Memphis. This year at Memphis and next year at Louisville. The contract was also going to call for a neutral site like Nashville but it was not part of the contract. It appeared it was completely a done deal for the 3rd year. Pure speculation, maybe they did not sign for the 3rd year because of the possibility of Memphis joining the BE, again, pure speculation.
It really goes without mentioning but Rutgers releases a schedule with one game missing?
Wow, it is very difficult to schedule but you have a school in our conference still trying to get a game this late?
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - TegaCayCard - 03-11-2008 11:57 AM
Thanks 3601, was there any more to the conversation or in any Memphis papers?
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - 3601 - 03-11-2008 12:06 PM
This is supposedly being driven by FedEx. RC is along for the ride. FedEx is a huge supporter of the UofM (both athletically and academically) and many FedEx bigwigs (including founder Fred Smith) are big Tigers supporters.
FedEx is headquartered in Memphis and was VERY instrumental in bringing the NBA to Memphis. FedEx knows that Memphis being in a BCS conference would be great for the university and great for the city as a whole. FedEx does thing to help improve the city because they know a better city helps them attract better talent.
FedEx spends TONS of money on sports marketing. FedExForum, FedEx Orange Bowl, FedExField, the FedEx Cup, and on and on and on.
I don't know this for a fact, but I think that FedEx is going to try to make the Big East an offer they can't refuse...you invite Memphis and we'll be the title sponsor for the Big East tournament and all Big East sports for X amount of years.
Only time will tell. We've heard this story before and nothing has come of it as of yet.
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - bluesox - 03-11-2008 12:09 PM
It makes sense for the commish to want memphis and a catholic bball only team for team #18, st louis doesn't hurt any eastern school...holy cross or st joe might + it helps travel with memphis etc. The commish might not want to go to 18 but its might keep the thing together a little longer...maybe memphis makes it to the final four or wins the thing, than the big east can announce their , membership...If fed ex wanted to help memphis they would pawn the griz off on another city, how about newark. Actually, i think there are a few NBA teams that will be moving, seattle to Okie, new orleans to ? heck maybe back to seattle...don't see the griz lasting that long in memphis.
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - KNIGHTTIME - 03-11-2008 12:14 PM
Off topic but are some of these old school girls part lion?
![[Image: pg2_scan0003_300.jpg]](http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2008/0212/pg2_scan0003_300.jpg)
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - gdayre - 03-11-2008 12:26 PM
Caulkins, who is the sport writer for the CA(Comerical Appeal) is on one of the local radio station is the one who spoke of this on air today. He said just what 3601 spoke of. Believe it or not, it was not RC Johnson.
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - L-yes - 03-11-2008 12:50 PM
3601 Wrote:This is supposedly being driven by FedEx. RC is along for the ride. FedEx is a huge supporter of the UofM (both athletically and academically) and many FedEx bigwigs (including founder Fred Smith) are big Tigers supporters.
FedEx is headquartered in Memphis and was VERY instrumental in bringing the NBA to Memphis. FedEx knows that Memphis being in a BCS conference would be great for the university and great for the city as a whole. FedEx does thing to help improve the city because they know a better city helps them attract better talent.
FedEx spends TONS of money on sports marketing. FedExForum, FedEx Orange Bowl, FedExField, the FedEx Cup, and on and on and on.
I don't know this for a fact, but I think that FedEx is going to try to make the Big East an offer they can't refuse...you invite Memphis and we'll be the title sponsor for the Big East tournament and all Big East sports for X amount of years.
Only time will tell. We've heard this story before and nothing has come of it as of yet.
It goes without saying that FedEx is tired of seeing the beautiful FedEx Forum get most of its tiger air time on CSTV with maximum exposure in the nether regions of West Texas. You want to maximize your ad dollars that went into naming rights. Massive markets on the eastern seaboard in a league with national appeal or Marshall and SMU fans? FWIW don't be surprised to see UPS pick up naming rights on UofL's new arena.
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - L-yes - 03-11-2008 12:53 PM
bluesox Wrote:It makes sense for the commish to want memphis and a catholic bball only team for team #18, st louis doesn't hurt any eastern school...holy cross or st joe might + it helps travel with memphis etc. The commish might not want to go to 18 but its might keep the thing together a little longer...maybe memphis makes it to the final four or wins the thing, than the big east can announce their , membership...If fed ex wanted to help memphis they would pawn the griz off on another city, how about newark. Actually, i think there are a few NBA teams that will be moving, seattle to Okie, new orleans to ? heck maybe back to seattle...don't see the griz lasting that long in memphis.
18 teams is lunacy. There are many, many problems with the current format. I can't see the league agreeing to add another 2 given the current state of the basketball conference alone.
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - CardinalJim - 03-11-2008 01:01 PM
It wouldn't suprise me to see the Big East and FedEx build some kind of partnership. FedEx is obviously interested in getting more involved in college athletics. Like 3601 said, they have a lot of money and Tranghese, and the leaders of our conference, are looking for ways to close the money gap between the Big East and the other BCS conferences. It's the perfect fit and could put the Big East on the cutting edge of corporate sports conference sponsorship.
FedEx could do a number of things for the Big East.
1. Help move the Orange Bowl, that they sponsor, into the position of being the Big East's home BCS bowl.
2. Help move the Liberty Bowl into a Big East relationship.
3. Help kick up the sponsorship dollars for our Big East basketball conference tournament.
4. Most importantly they can help make the moving of Memphis to the Big East a reality.
This all makes sense. Mikey T knows that the football schools are ready to split. He wants to keep the cash cow together for the basketball onlys. Perhaps he has finally opened his eyes and is ready to deal with the problem. Lets all hope so.
CJ
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - CardinalJim - 03-11-2008 01:10 PM
L-yes Wrote:It goes without saying that FedEx is tired of seeing the beautiful FedEx Forum get most of its tiger air time on CSTV with maximum exposure in the nether regions of West Texas. You want to maximize your ad dollars that went into naming rights. Massive markets on the eastern seaboard in a league with national appeal or Marshall and SMU fans? FWIW don't be surprised to see UPS pick up naming rights on UofL's new arena.
That's an excellent point. FedEx has invested a ton of money in Memphis and they want to showcase what they have done to the nation. What better way to do that then with the Big East's big media.
Your comment about UPS in Louisville got me to thinking. I was talking with some friends here in Louisville that work for FedEx. He said when they go to Memphis for corporate meetings, people there ask where are you from and they say Louisville. The folks at the FedEx Corporate offices say "well we don't like Louisville down here." My friend says "why because of UofL and they say no because of UPS"...LOL There is apparently some type of corporate rivalry between FedEx and UPS. The Big East needs to take advantage of this.
CJ
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - buckaineer - 03-11-2008 01:58 PM
Why would a bb only school have to be added if Memphis was added?
Memphis has a top bb team which no doubt would like to be playing bb with the bb onlies as well as the all-sports. I can't understand why the bb onlies would shun a team because they also have football.
17 is pretty big though
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - MtownTigers916 - 03-11-2008 02:04 PM
Most importantly, this occurs on the heels of the results of an on-campus stadium feasibility study. The study said that an on-campus stadium for Memphis would be both feasible and affordable. These results have been the talk of the town today. The word on the Memphis boards is that the Liberty Bowl is considering these results, and that RC, FedEx, and Tranghese are discussing how this might effect Memphis' shot to get in the Big East.
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - chess - 03-11-2008 02:05 PM
Some sinister speculation...
One of the rumors when Louisville, Cincinnati, and South Florida left for the Big East was that Memphis would stay behind in C-USA to ensure C-USA got NCAA credits (We may have lost them if Memphis bolted).
The rumor was that Memphis would join UL and UC when the credits were secured by the current C-USA membership.
I don't know if there is any truth to this. I just remember reading it ON THE INTERNET.
RE: Latest Big East Expansion Rumor - Ring of Black - 03-11-2008 02:10 PM
chess Wrote:I don't know if there is any truth to this. I just remember reading it ON THE INTERNET.
Well, the fact that it’s on the net is good enough for me
