(12-17-2014 03:13 PM)BewareThePhog Wrote:  

(12-17-2014 01:43 PM)mikeinsec127 Wrote:  So serious question from a complete outsider: Beyond being the only other all sports playing college located between Texas and West Virginia that is in a conference a step above CUSA; is there a reason why Memphis is being mentioned as #12 for the B12?

Memphis sports revenue looks good, but I would assume that is basketball driven and B12 doesn't seem to value basketball vs Football.
Memphis metro is big city in football crazy area, but it is dominated by SEC.
Western Tenn is not the recruiting gold mine that Tx or Fla are.
Outside of B12 newcomer TCU, I can't think of any current B12 school that would have recent shared history with Memphis.

Well there's a limited pool of candidates that have even limited appeal and make sense in terms of geography. Otherwise, many of the reasons that you list are among the reasons that the Big 12 hasn't chosen Memphis up to now. The 2008 National Championship basketball game ties KU and Memphis, but obviously with Calipari having moved on to Lexington it's not quite the same as it would otherwise have been.

It is true we don't have much history with Big 12 schools. We did play Kansas the season after Cal left and almost won. And the year after that in NYC. Kansas has turned down a home/home ever since. We did just wrap up a home/home with Oklahoma State in bball and start a home/home with Oklahoma next year. We played Baylor this year in bball in Vegas. We start a home/home this year @ Kansas in football. Obviously we have a long history with Cincinnati (assuming if we are ever added it will be with Cinci) which gives us some tie to West Virginia bball with Bob Huggins (he loved our "obnoxious Memphis students").

We're trying!