Buckley: Memphis’ conference future? The Tigers will not beg.
University of Memphis athletic director Ed Scott during the game between Memphis and Kansas State on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. (Wes Hale/Special to The Daily Memphian)
Tim Buckley
Tim is a veteran sportswriter who graduated from CBHS in Memphis and the University of Missouri. He previously covered LSU sports in Baton Rouge, and the University of Louisiana football and basketball for The Daily Advertiser/USA TODAY Network in Lafayette, the NBA’s Utah Jazz for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning for the St. Petersburg Times in Florida, and West Texas State basketball for the Amarillo Globe News in Texas.
No one wants to be a beggar.
Especially not Ed Scott, evidenced by his recent response regarding the Memphis Tigers’ hopes of getting into a power conference.
“That’s the easiest way for me to answer it,” he said, “is that I’m not just calling the ACC and the Big 12 every day saying, ‘Will you let us in, will you let us in?’”
Nor is Scott willing to settle for less.
So when presented with a proposed deal that made no financial sense whatsoever, and given a nonsensical deadline of less than a day to respond, the American Athletic Conference-member Tigers last Monday decided they wanted no part of joining the rebuilt Pac-12.
With no indication the ACC or Big 12 intends to extend a membership offer anytime soon, where does that leave a program wanting to play bigger and better opponents?
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