memphis joining BE next year

he Big East will announce Wednesday that Memphis is joining the conference in all sports in 2013.

Outgoing Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson confirmed to ESPN.com that the official call with the Big East to accept the invitation from commissioner John Marinatto will take place at 1 p.m. ET.

A news conference will follow in Memphis.

Details of any exit fee for Conference USA or entry fee will be discussed Wednesday.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) couldn't wait until the news became official to celebrate.

"I am thrilled that my hometown team and alma mater the University of Memphis is being invited to join the Big East," Cohen said in a statement. "Joining the Big East will not only be great for the University of Memphis, but it will be an economic catalyst for the City of Memphis.

"Thanks to Louisville Coach Rick Pitino for his strong support. And Congratulations to Dr. Shirley Raines and R.C. Johnson."

The Big East will also be adding Central Florida, Houston, SMU, Navy, San Diego State and Boise State in the coming years, and soon will lose West Virginia to the Big 12 and Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Big East's plan has been to get to 12 football teams and eventually have a conference championship game. Memphis, plus incumbent schools Cincinnati, UConn, Louisville, Rutgers and South Florida, could get the conference to that point by 2015.

Memphis has been trying to move from Conference USA since being snubbed when the Big East expanded in 2005, losing a longtime rivalry with Louisville. A departure now would be pricey for the Tigers. The exit fee from Conference USA for 2013-14 is $500,000 plus Memphis' share of television rights revenue, which is approximately $6.13 million, according to a league spokeswoman.

The Tigers' value to the Big East is in basketball, where the Tigers have made 23 NCAA tournament appearances with a record of 32-23. The Tigers played in the national title game in 1973 and 2008, when they lost to UCLA and Kansas respectively. They also reached the Final Four in 1985 and lost in three other regional finals.

Pitino has actively lobbied the Big East and its member schools to add Memphis and Temple for basketball, regardless of whether the conference adds Central Florida, Houston or SMU.

"We have to take a page out of the ACC in what they did to us," Pitino told ESPN.com in October. "Taking Syracuse and Pittsburgh was a stroke of genius. We have to do the same thing and we have that available to us with two programs that also have football."

Pitino again called out for league officials to consider Memphis after Louisville beat Memphis on Dec. 17.

"I'm just hoping the Big East gets smart and does something about that and allows them to come into the league," Pitino said. "I keep getting on the pulpit and saying this: We got hurt big-time and we need Memphis. Memphis doesn't need us, we need Memphis. We need Temple. We need to build up basketball again."

With John Calipari as coach, Memphis made four straight NCAA tournament appearances between 2006 and 2009. Josh Pastner, who took over when Calipari left for Kentucky in 2009, took Memphis to the NCAA tournament last season after winning the Conference USA tournament. Memphis will be hosting Conference USA's men's and women's basketball tournaments in March.

Memphis just hired Justin Fuente as its new football coach, replacing Larry Porter, who was fired after going 3-21 in two seasons. The Tigers play football at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

Information from ESPN college football reporter Joe Schad and ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz was used in this report.

Welcome back, Memphis.

Whoa. I look away for a few minutes...

BE main board is a hot mess already. Forgot how they were en mass.

(02-08-2012 04:56 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  BE main board is a hot mess already. Forgot how they were en mass.

Yep, the cousins no one talks about just rolled up to the family reunion.

Like someone set an old couch on the curb and we picked it up, brought it home, and got a bed bug infestation.

I person like it, brought some life the be main board

(02-08-2012 05:50 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Like someone set an old couch on the curb and we picked it up, brought it home, and got a bed bug infestation.

Wait...how did we get bed bugs from a couch? Maybe they're more like an old stained mattress.

(02-08-2012 05:11 PM)subflea Wrote:  

(02-08-2012 04:56 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  BE main board is a hot mess already. Forgot how they were en mass.

Yep, the cousins no one talks about just rolled up to the family reunion.

Clark: Eddie???
Eddie: You surprised to see us, Clark?
Clark: Surprised Eddie?... If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am now.

Can you get a Memphis logo on Eddie's robe?

Boy when did we get all high and mighty. I'm happy with them joining. Ive never had much of a problem with their fans.

Their fans for the most part are great. The thing is their idiots are the biggest idiots on csnbbs. Due to being a huge board, they also have a large number of those idiots.

(02-08-2012 09:40 PM)subflea Wrote:  Their fans for the most part are great. The thing is their idiots are the biggest idiots on csnbbs. Due to being a huge board, they also have a large number of those idiots.

True about the posters. I was looking at it more as far as them being a nice addition programs-wise and a nice hoops rival with us over the years. Their fans were always decent when I've been down there.

Murph, take a look at the "Big East General Conference Talk" board (some are already on the Smack Board), then see for yourself.

(02-08-2012 09:44 PM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  Murph, take a look at the "Big East General Conference Talk" board (some are already on the Smack Board), then see for yourself.

BJ, idiot posters aside, doesnt anyone think they're a good conference addition given who we lost? I'm much more positive about them versus SMU and HOuston.

They have the highest clown per capita on csnbbs. Same way it was back on C-USAtalk. I don't know how all of their top notch posters deal with it.

Again, what do you all think of them as an actual conference addition? Anyone?

Wish they were still in CUSA. I would have preferred to have seen evidence of a commitment to investing in football over several years.

Ditto. I give it a C+ as an add.

(02-08-2012 10:05 PM)subflea Wrote:  Wish they were still in CUSA. I would have preferred to have seen evidence of a commitment to investing in football over several years.

The football side is a bit concerning. But we know theyve got a solid hoops tradition and history which I think is a nice add now that we lost some good hoops programs from the conference. On the football side I hope a step up in conference boosts their program and recruiting with the bcs prospect they didnt have in cusa.