CFB Twitter clowns Memphis for cringe social media after Big 12 whiff

The Memphis Tigers are not about to put on their blue suede shoes and a board a plane over to the Big 12. This is because the Big 12 is too big to be small. You missed your mark... While the Big 12 is still trying to find itself a new identity as a 16-team, basketball-heavy league with some very excited football, Brett Yormark and company is not interested in taking a quarter of a million from Memphis.

What does Memphis need to do to go Power Four now? Does Elvis Presley have to sign over the rights to the FedEx brand or something because the Peabody Ducks doing that with AutoZone simply will not do? Regardless, I feel really bad for their fans and the university. This is a school that clearly has the resources and the willingness to go Power Four. Optically, the Big 12 wants no part of this...

It could be academics, brand recognition or whatever. The point is Memphis has become the new Cincinnati, a school that long had the goal line of making it to the big time constantly moved on them. Not to say this is Charlie Brown falling on his back when Lucy pulls the football out from him for the umpteenth time, but the Big 12 is not going to be walking with Memphis down the aisle this summer.

On3's Brett McMurphy first reported of the botched proposal put forth by Memphis to the Big 12.

Then came the saddest thing we have seen since Astronomer executives rocked out to Coldplay.

As expected, the college football world and notable sports personalities had a field day with this on X.

Despite being a city defined by bluffs, Memphis was not bluffing when it came to wanting to level up.

College football world laughs at Memphis Tigers trying to join the Big 12

Even though we have 18 Big Ten teams, 17 ACC teams, 16 Big 12 teams, and 16 SEC teams, as well as Notre Dame, there are still about 12 or so schools that I think may have it in them to go Power Four one day. This includes Pac-12 castoffs Oregon State and Washington State obviously, as well as other notable schools such as Boise State, Colorado State, Memphis, San Diego State and Tulane.

Over the last decade or two in the wake of common era realignment, I have noticed three things to be true. One, schools that want to level up usually take advantage of that opportunity. Schools like SMU, TCU and Utah fit the bill. Two, schools that move laterally often struggle big time. Look no further than Colorado to the Pac-12 and back to the Big 12, and West Virginia picking the Big 12 over the ACC.

And three, reluctant partners will get left behind. This is why I am fearful of the future for schools like Cal, Stanford and UCLA. As far as Memphis is concerned, I think the Tigers would welcome a bid to the ACC, Big 12, SEC or any Power Four league that would have them. Strategically, gaining a strong AAC school from the Mid-South could add market share. It just may not be to the degree we expect.

Memphis may have gotten shot down by the Big 12, but a league like the ACC should be interested.