Memphis Tigers left empty-handed after bold Big 12 proposal falls flat

The Memphis Tigers made a full-court press to join the Big 12, and they got nothing but rejection in return.

Memphis tries everything, still shut out of Big 12 dreams

Reports surfaced this week revealing the extent of Memphis’ push to join the power conference. Their offer was aggressive: give up media rights revenue for five years, secure $200 million in sponsorships from companies like FedEx and Lowe’s, and even include an exit clause allowing the Big 12 to remove them if they didn’t deliver.

None of it worked.

The Big 12 wasn’t swayed. The door remains closed, and Memphis is staying put in the American Conference.

Public response gets weird

After the news broke, the school’s official social media account posted a photo with the American Conference’s updated branding and the message: “Proud member of the American Conference.”

Proud member of the American Conference Ⓜ️#GoTigersGo | @American_Conf pic.twitter.com/rMHJt3476G

That didn’t sit well with fans. The timing came off as ironic, if not tone-deaf, given Memphis has been very publicly trying to leave the league. The post was quickly mocked and flooded with sarcastic replies.

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The American, for what it’s worth, has tried to rebrand itself in recent months. The conference updated its name and logo and introduced a mascot named Soar the Eagle. That didn’t help Memphis’ optics either.

Desperate? maybe, but not unprecedented

While it may seem like Memphis was begging for a lifeline, similar strategies have worked before. SMU used a zero-revenue approach to gain entry into the ACC just last year.

Memphis has been impressive on the field, going 21-5 across the last two seasons. But without an invite, performance isn’t enough. The Tigers are still on the outside looking in.

For now, they’ll keep playing in the American, whether they’re proud of it or not.

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