Dear Alumni, Friends and Fans:

The University of Memphis has begun our 100th year—our Centennial Celebration. It is always an exciting time of year on our campus as students, faculty and staff renew ourmost important charge of teaching and graduating the next generation of dreamers, thinkers and doers.
Another exciting part of the University’s culture is the beginning of the fall season of athletic competitions as our student athletes strive to excel in the classroom and on the playing field. I know that many of you are aware of conference realignments and a number of universities that are changing to different conferences. This letter gives me an opportunity to update you on what Athletics Director R. C. Johnson and I are doing to assure that our students-athletes, fans, friends and the Memphis community have an exciting experience in an exciting conference for years to come.
First of all, we are talking with other university presidents. At the end of the day, university presidents and chancellors are the key to every conference organization. They cast the deciding vote on admission of membership to their conference. We continue to engage commissioners, athletic directors, consultants and many corporate supporters in these efforts. Over the past several years, I have served on the NCAA executive committee, which consists of chancellors and presidents from universities representing BCS and NCAA member schools. R. C. Johnson continues to serve with other athletics directorsand commissioners on NCAA committees, and Associate Athletics Director, Lynn Parkes has served on a number of NCAAboards and committees, too.
Over the last several years, we have done a better job of aligning our standards for student athletes with the expectations of BCS schools. Our student athletes finished the spring semester with an overall 3.0 grade point average, the highest average in the past 50 years. It is very important to university presidents that we emphasize the “student” in student-athletes. Our men’s and women’s athletics programs continue to reach high achievements in NCAA tournaments as well as the classroom.
Other factors include the investment that many of you, our friends, have made in facilities. In the last few years, we have upgraded our football practice facilities, a turf field, weight room,football recruiting room, and have begun a campaign to build a $10 million indoor practice facility for football as part of our Empowering the Dream comprehensive campaign for the Centennial. The Liberty Bowl Stadium has had on-going updates and the new tailgating area, Tiger Lane, continues to get rave reviews from our fans as well as our opponents. We have upgraded other facilities as well—FedEx Park for baseball; Frank Flautt Golf Center; women’s softball; Elma Roane Field House; the Finch Center for men’s basketball; the newly opened Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway Hall of Fame; and we play basketball in one of the premiere facilities in college basketball, the FedEx Forum.
And finally, one of the factors that is critical to all conferences is the television market. Memphis, with more than a million viewers, is a plus for any conference. When we talk to consultants, other athletic directors and our corporate friends in the Memphis area, they all believe that the Memphis television market is a very good advantage for our University. And, strong fan support and attendance at athletic events is a point of review for all conferences.
I want you all to know that we are not sitting by and waiting for “our turn” to come. We have been aggressive behind the scenes, contacting chancellors and presidents, and working very closely with commissioners and athletic directors so that they know what we have done, what we continue to do to improve and how interested we are in reaching the our goal of joining a BCS conference. We know we have improvements to make. Football success is critical. The investments that you and we are making there will pay off. Your commitment and support now is critical to all of our students. I appreciate your trust as we continue to move ahead and position our University for the future.
Sincerely,
Dr. Shirley C. Raines, President

I didn't read the whole thing, but did it mention FedEx willing to pay off any conference that takes you guys?

It sounds nice.

Until they start a Memphis2BCS website, I'm afraid they aren't really trying.

http://smu2bcs.com./

I think ECU's commercial was better.

Too little, too late. The only way Memphis gets in is if they luck into a conference with enough solid football teams to rationalize adding a basketball power.

Obligatory sales pitches will be coming from all the other CUSA schools, I suspect.

(09-09-2011 12:50 PM)The Brown Bull Wrote:  I think ECU's commercial was better.

But they're trying. Besides, it's not like the president of the university can come out and take a more realistic position in all of this. She has to to do the best with what she has.

(09-09-2011 12:50 PM)The Brown Bull Wrote:  I think ECU's commercial was better.

Both USM's and Memphis' statements are plays on what ECU has done...only USM's was to a far less degree and Memphis' even less than that. Love the mention of talking with corporate sponsers. They still keep trying to use that. At least there was some dignity with ECU's and USM's address not to blatanly talk about meeting with others from other conferences.

I am really sick of hearing about the Fedex bribe thing. There is so much corporate money flying around major college athletics that to call this a low tactic is a joke. The whole idea of expansion is about MONEY. I guess this is just low hanging fruit for all the fans of other schools to jump up and grab so they can make themselves feel better about the fact that Memphis's situation with corporate backing is much better than theirs.

(09-09-2011 12:44 PM)KnightTower Wrote:  I didn't read the whole thing, but did it mention FedEx willing to pay off any conference that takes you guys?

Same tired UCF response...Why do you guys always feel the need to attack other schools?????

(09-09-2011 01:44 PM)Mtyler Wrote:  I am really sick of hearing about the Fedex bribe thing. There is so much corporate money flying around major college athletics that to call this a low tactic is a joke. The whole idea of expansion is about MONEY. I guess this is just low hanging fruit for all the fans of other schools to jump up and grab so they can make themselves feel better about the fact that Memphis's situation with corporate backing is much better than theirs.

You could have always been investing that corporate money in the FB program from day 1 and you would have already been in the BE.

(09-09-2011 12:52 PM)wvucrazed Wrote:  Obligatory sales pitches will be coming from all the other CUSA schools, I suspect.

Sales pitches to their own fanbases you mean. All is well, we are doing all we can.

(09-09-2011 01:47 PM)ECU-DMB Fanatic Wrote:  

(09-09-2011 12:44 PM)KnightTower Wrote:  I didn't read the whole thing, but did it mention FedEx willing to pay off any conference that takes you guys?

Same tired UCF response...Why do you guys always feel the need to attack other schools?????

Same tired ECU repsonse...Why do you guys always feel the need to lump together posters of other schools?????

I speak for me, not other UCF fans.

(09-09-2011 01:53 PM)KnightTower Wrote:  

(09-09-2011 01:47 PM)ECU-DMB Fanatic Wrote:  

(09-09-2011 12:44 PM)KnightTower Wrote:  I didn't read the whole thing, but did it mention FedEx willing to pay off any conference that takes you guys?

Same tired UCF response...Why do you guys always feel the need to attack other schools?????

Same tired ECU repsonse...Why do you guys always feel the need to lump together posters of other schools?????

I speak for me, not other UCF fans.

Didn't you just make a hipocritical statement? You just lumped all ECU posters together.

(09-09-2011 02:14 PM)apex_pirate Wrote:  

(09-09-2011 01:53 PM)KnightTower Wrote:  

(09-09-2011 01:47 PM)ECU-DMB Fanatic Wrote:  

(09-09-2011 12:44 PM)KnightTower Wrote:  I didn't read the whole thing, but did it mention FedEx willing to pay off any conference that takes you guys?

Same tired UCF response...Why do you guys always feel the need to attack other schools?????

Same tired ECU repsonse...Why do you guys always feel the need to lump together posters of other schools?????

I speak for me, not other UCF fans.

Didn't you just make a hipocritical statement? You just lumped all ECU posters together.

Here's the joke.






Here's your head.

(09-09-2011 02:16 PM)KnightTower Wrote:  

(09-09-2011 02:14 PM)apex_pirate Wrote:  

(09-09-2011 01:53 PM)KnightTower Wrote:  

(09-09-2011 01:47 PM)ECU-DMB Fanatic Wrote:  

(09-09-2011 12:44 PM)KnightTower Wrote:  I didn't read the whole thing, but did it mention FedEx willing to pay off any conference that takes you guys?

Same tired UCF response...Why do you guys always feel the need to attack other schools?????

Same tired ECU repsonse...Why do you guys always feel the need to lump together posters of other schools?????

I speak for me, not other UCF fans.

Didn't you just make a hipocritical statement? You just lumped all ECU posters together.

Here's the joke.






Here's your head.

Sarcasm maybe, joke no. Not easily picked up in the written word. I doubt you'd ever be able to throw a quip out there that was over my head. I'm not that young you know.

(09-09-2011 01:51 PM)Derby Wrote:  

(09-09-2011 12:52 PM)wvucrazed Wrote:  Obligatory sales pitches will be coming from all the other CUSA schools, I suspect.

Sales pitches to their own fanbases you mean. All is well, we are doing all we can.

Except for the fact that the Tigers can't win any football games...

One of the big things overlooked is, C-USA schools don't necessarily want to be in the BE or B12. It's the autobid that the AQ's are unfairly holding.
I'd guess TCU wold rather be in a Texas-Southern based league, itif it had it's choice.
C-USA Presidents, AD's & the sleepy C-USA Commish, would be better served changing the system through the Federal Courts.
So many violations of anti-trust laws involved in taxpayer-supported settings, it's incredible it's still surviving.

Love how there is absolutely zero mention of academic strides.