Well, well, Mike Tranghese didn’t stay retired long. He’s been hired by Memphis, at $5,000 a month, and AD R.C. Johnson said he told Tranghese he has exactly one charge: “There are six BCS conferences. Just get us in one.”
The obvious choice is the Big East, isn’t it? The eight football schools leaves an unbalanced schedule and Tramghese told the Commercial-Appeal that when he raided the C-USA for Louisville and Cincinnati, he saw no issue with Memphis. South Florida got the bid over Memphis only, he said, “because our football people just felt they had to be in Florida.”
SNY’s Adam Zagoria talked to Tranghese earlier today and while the former commish told Adam his hiring is no promise Memphis will be a Big East member, Adam also brought up an interesting pitch Tranghese might make to his protege, John Marinatto: Memphis could bring FedEx. And, since Aeropostale’s dropped out, the Big East needs a presenting sponsor for its hoops tourney.
I think it’s all a long ways off still. But I’m not sure the Big East should even listen to Memphis whenever the lobbying does begin.
The Derrick Rose scandal – someone else may or may not have taken his SATs for him, Memphis’ trip to the Final Four therefore officially never happened - comes to mind quick. But there was also a springtime censure of the women’s golf program. This isn’t a flawless, reputable program, this isn’t a great football team and if the conference grows to 17, the basketball schools will ultimately have to be split, won’t they? Is the death of the Big East as it is now worth the addition of an ethically-questionable Memphis?
I’d prefer to see the football schools split and pick up another school, sure. But Memphis is a mess.
I’d rather see us take Elijah’s seat at the Big 11 table, but we know that’s just a dream.
Please…Memphis isn’t that bad. If they were a BCS team nothing would have come of it (Corey Maggette at Duke, NBA players recruiting at UNC, Reggie Bush at USC, Kansas, etc.). The Big East would do well with Memphis. Is not like Rutgers was all that until the football team got decent a few years ago.
Memphis brings the Liberty Bowl (it would eventually eclipse the Champs bowl with a higher payout), FedEx sponsorship (didn’t you know they are a premier sports sponsor?), recruiting in the heart of the ACC (where do you think Arkansas, Tennessee, Miss St., Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, & Alabama get their players?), ranked in the top 15 in athletic departments? Besides, didn’t you see what happened to Louisville and Cincinnati when they got to a better conference? Memphis will be 10 times better!