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Big 12 talk was a big deal last week, and not just for The Daily Memphian’s sports staff. Much of Memphis was abuzz after word emerged of a reported due diligence visit to the city by officials of the conference that may or may not be considering extending a Power 5 invite to the Tigers. According to a Twitter posting from a Memphis sports talk radio producer, Connor Dunning, one local pastor even closed his weekend service saying, “‘I hope we get into the Big 12.’” Amen to that. Because as Daily Memphian columnist John Martin opined, “Memphis has never needed” a spot in the Big 12 “more than it does at this very moment.” So did a meeting really take place, as the college athletics business website College AD wrote, or was it all much ado over nothing? If there was such a gathering, who really was there — and what did they talk about? If snacks were served, was it barbecue or corn dogs? Details are scarce. Denials are plentiful. Some doubt it ever happened, others double down that it did. Memphis’ mayor, Jim Strickland, told The Daily Memphian he had “heard nothing of a site visit.” The Big 12’s commissioner, Brett Yormark, told ESPN he had “never met with anyone at Memphis about adding them to the Big 12, nor have I been on campus.” A representative of the College AD website said that the online outlet “stands by its reporting that a contingent of Big 12 officials visited Memphis, where they were able to see plans of the Liberty Bowl expansion.” A high-ranking University of Memphis official supposedly privately shot down the notion of a meeting, yet no one from the school has publicly denied it. Is it possible high-profile Memphians not from the university and not from the mayor’s office were the ones in the meeting? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Is it possible Big 12 officials not named Yormark were the ones who actually visited, or even a president or two from individual Big 12 schools? Maybe. Maybe not. Is it possible whoever came to town never actually set foot on Memphis’ campus during this particular trip? Could be. Or not. Suffice it to say the commissioner’s very nuanced denial leaves all sorts of possibilities unaddressed and open to one’s imagination until the conference realignment tree shakes yet again, something that could — if reports pan out — happen by the end of this month. Until it does, there is plenty else to keep The Daily Memphian staff busy — as last week’s work attests. Frank Bonner II wrote about the latest transfers to Memphis who’ve spent time with Power 5 programs, including MUS product Maurice Hampton Jr. (LSU) and MAHS product Cameron Miller (Tennessee). Bonner also had an extra-long day Saturday at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, where — after an extended weather delay that knocked the game off NBC — the Memphis Showboats’ five-game win streak came to a close with a loss to the New Orleans Breakers. Liaudwin Seaberry Jr., meanwhile, wrote about the defensive coordinator who turned his unit around during the win streak, former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Carnell Lake. John Varlas wrote about both the Memphis team, whose winning streak remains intact — 901 FC — and about instructors representing one of the soccer world’s most well-known teams, Juventus, coming to Arlington to work with local youths. Over at AutoZone Park, Alicia Davidson stepped in from the news side to deliver a nice piece on the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds paying tribute to the city’s former Negroes League team, the Memphis Red Sox. In the basketball world, Parth Upadhyaya wrote about Tigers basketball coach Penny Hardaway’s big-money NIL needs and updated us with the latest on DeAndre Williams’ bid to get an NCAA waiver so he can play yet another season in Memphis. Chris Herrington also broke down everything you need to know about the Memphis Grizzlies’ offseason needs at small forward, and Drew Hill addressed a variety of Grizzlies topics, including the loss of former Memphis assistant coach and new Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic. Not to be lost in it all: The Daily Memphian celebrated more big wins on the writing contest front, with Varlas, Hill and columnist Geoff Calkins — the Gary Lundy Sports Writer of the Year for 2022 — all taking individual category Tennessee Sports Writers Association victories. Here’s a look at some of the staff’s top work for the week: — Deputy sports editor/senior writer Tim Buckley
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By Tim Buckley
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