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Big 12 Expansion: Memphis out of the running

By Patrick Schmidt

Dec 30, 2015; Birmingham, AL, USA; Memphis Tigers supports their team during the 2015 Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2015; Birmingham, AL, USA; Memphis Tigers supports their team during the 2015 Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Memphis is no longer in the running to join the Big 12.

The Big 12 wants to expand and add two-four more teams. One of the teams believed to have a strong candidacy is no longer in the running. According to ESPN’s Brett McMurphy and Jake Trotter, Memphis has been eliminated as a potential expansion candidate.

Memphis was among the more than two dozen schools to pitch themselves as a candidate for Big 12 expansion since Big 12 Media Days this summer. The university was believed to be such an attractive candidate because of the financial backing of FedEx. The shipping giant was reportedly willing to sponsor the return of the Big 12 Championship Game. However, it would seem the Big 12 has other criteria that needed to be met that Memphis couldn’t meet.

The Big 12 and commissioner Bob Bowlsby still has work to do to whittle the field down. According to the ESPN report, 11 teams are still in the running. In alphabetical order, those schools are Air Force, BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, UConn, Colorado State, Houston, Rice, South Florida, SMU and Tulane.

These 11 schools will make an in-person pitch in Dallas next week and a final decision on expansion is expected to happen on October 17.

Before then, however, we could see more schools cut from the list before a final decision is made. Think of it like the NFL where teams made waves of cuts. I’m pretty surprised Memphis isn’t among the schools still in the running because I thought they’d be one of the top four-five candidates.

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I still think Houston and Cincinnati remain the strongest candidates. If the league decides they want to add four schools, then it will get dicey. All of these schools have warts so it’s not like there is a school that will be an ideal fit.

Who do you think will end up making the cut for Big 12 expansion?

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