(09-10-2023 11:23 AM)hsvtiger Wrote: I hope we are looking at this angle & have espoused it myself. I agree that the AAC may be weakened enough that they would prefer to have a football-only Memphis than NO Memphis. When UConn left their football was very weak & the AAC was in a strong position, so the idea of UConn going to BigEast & leaving football in AAC was ludicrous. With UConn football improved, I’d even consider allowing UConn football back in (things have changed). If there IS a split, we neec to make sure Memphis basketball if on the right side. Plus, revenue (ticket sales, donations) would increase significantly in the BigEast. My preferences;
1) Member of a P4 (obviously);
2) Member of New PAC - PAC2 + Best of MWC/AAC;
3) Big East with football in AAC;
4) Big East with football in SunBelt/MWC*;
*if Wazzu/OSU join B12, or something
5) Big East with football as independent;
6) Member of AAC minus Cincy, Houston, UCF, SMU.
What would be the point of options 3-5?
We made our biggest sustained basketball runs in recent history as members of the old CUSA. Our funding is still top 25 - no matter the conference. We don't have to "save basketball" by joining the BEast. And #5 option would kill football.
BB will be fine no matter what. We need to figure out what's best to position us for fb. I suspect over the next 2 years, it becomes something like option #2.
The difference is the NIL & the Grizz… neither of which were much of a factor in 2006-2008. Too, the funding gap between P5 schools & G5 schools is growing exponentially. If Memphis is going to compete fot national titles in BB, can the school keep throwing money at football knowing it has no chance at competing for championships?
If the school could get a similar conference payout money from the BE in hoops, then its difficult to justify holding onto football & losing money. Think how much more in ticket sales & PSL’s the school could net with a BE conference schedule.
The Grizz had Rudy Gay and Pau Gasol - so I wouldn't say they weren't a factor. And every year we continue to have at least 1 player in the top 25 of NIL.
Throwing money at football? The tv contract we receive is largely based on football. Keep in mind our "paltry" AAC tv contract revenue is still almost 2x more than the BEast gets for basketball only. When you allocate conference payouts to fb revenue - which drives it - then the fb program is the primary source of funding for the athletic dept.
Since everyone wants to think where things stand today is where they stand forever, let's apply the same to the CFP. As it stands today, the expanded CFP will take the highest ranked 6 conference champs starting in 2024. That means that Memphis has a greater chance than ever before (at least in the BCS/CFP era) of playing for a natty. All we have to do is win the AAC - which we've done 2x in recent years - and be better than the SBC and MWC - which we've done over half the time in recent years.
In basketball we are getting top 10 recruiting classes. We have top 25 program funding. Our non-con schedule this year will be one of the best in the country - as it was last year.
Tearing down football gets you nothing in basketball, and damages the university as a whole.
The expectation is that it will drop to the Top 5 rated conference champions with the PAC essentially going away.
That's the expectation - but it hasn't happened yet.
Just like it's the expectation that realignment is not finished - yet some here are ready to quit.
(09-12-2023 02:34 PM)oruvoice Wrote: This whole thought that BB will be fine no matter what is beyond short-sighted.
And completely incorrect. It ain't 1985.
If we don't get in "the club", it's simply a matter of time until ALL Tiger athletics is relegated to the minor league.
I can agree that we need to get in the club. And I know that football is what gets you in the club. So we can't give up or even diminish football.
However, I'm not talking about 1985 with the basketball comparison. Think more, CUSA in 2006-2009.
We are set to compete in basketball until they change the rules - which could happen. If that happens, it won't matter if we're paired with a bunch of G5 leftovers. And it likely won't matter if we're with a bunch of schools who don't consider football important.
I respect your opinion, sir. I just think you are incorrect.
How many NCAA tourney wins since Cal left in 2009? Is it 2 or 3?
(09-12-2023 09:47 AM)Tiger87 Wrote: In basketball we are getting top 10 recruiting classes. We have top 25 program funding. Our non-con schedule this year will be one of the best in the country - as it was last year.
And we have ranked SEC programs wishing they had a game day environment like we have.
(09-12-2023 09:47 AM)Tiger87 Wrote: In basketball we are getting top 10 recruiting classes. We have top 25 program funding. Our non-con schedule this year will be one of the best in the country - as it was last year.
And we have ranked SEC programs wishing they had a game day environment like we have.
Other than maybe Vandy who would that be (assuming you are talking FB)...? What SEC game days have you visited in the last few years?
(09-12-2023 09:47 AM)Tiger87 Wrote: In basketball we are getting top 10 recruiting classes. We have top 25 program funding. Our non-con schedule this year will be one of the best in the country - as it was last year.
And we have ranked SEC programs wishing they had a game day environment like we have.
Other than maybe Vandy who would that be (assuming you are talking FB)...? What SEC game days have you visited in the last few years?
I think he's talking about basketball game days. Not ESPN "Game Day".
(09-12-2023 02:34 PM)oruvoice Wrote: This whole thought that BB will be fine no matter what is beyond short-sighted.
And completely incorrect. It ain't 1985.
If we don't get in "the club", it's simply a matter of time until ALL Tiger athletics is relegated to the minor league.
I can agree that we need to get in the club. And I know that football is what gets you in the club. So we can't give up or even diminish football.
However, I'm not talking about 1985 with the basketball comparison. Think more, CUSA in 2006-2009.
We are set to compete in basketball until they change the rules - which could happen. If that happens, it won't matter if we're paired with a bunch of G5 leftovers. And it likely won't matter if we're with a bunch of schools who don't consider football important.
I respect your opinion, sir. I just think you are incorrect.
How many NCAA tourney wins since Cal left in 2009? Is it 2 or 3?
That's sort of my point. All the hand wringing about CUSA2 conference affiliation killing the bb program...Our last glory days in hoops were in CUSA1.
BB will be fine. There is no "saving" that needs to happen.
As long as the NCAA is the way it is, basketball can still thrive. We absolutely need to make some noise and remind people we can make runs in the tournament, but the opportunity is there, bad conference or not.
(09-14-2023 04:11 PM)memtigbb Wrote: As long as the NCAA is the way it is, basketball can still thrive. We absolutely need to make some noise and remind people we can make runs in the tournament, but the opportunity is there, bad conference or not.
Yeah. I guess I'm not making myself clear. Thank you for doing it for me.
I think the club and the non-club members are either going to completely sever affiliation or un-couple to the point where we'll be at the kiddie table (literally), eating with a plastic fork and playing for an NIT-like title, at best.
(09-12-2023 09:47 AM)Tiger87 Wrote: In basketball we are getting top 10 recruiting classes. We have top 25 program funding. Our non-con schedule this year will be one of the best in the country - as it was last year.
And we have ranked SEC programs wishing they had a game day environment like we have.
Other than maybe Vandy who would that be (assuming you are talking FB)...? What SEC game days have you visited in the last few years?
I think he's talking about basketball game days. Not ESPN "Game Day".
Yeah... #6 Alabama coach Nate Oats presser after their loss to Memphis. Check out the highlights starting around 12:50 to 13:50. Crowd definitely came to play that game.
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AAC not moving West
