Go West? The next wave of realignment is in Memphis’ hands

Go West, young man.

Surely, you’ve heard the phrase before. It’s been in American existence since the mid-1800s, credited to author and newspaper editor Horace Greeley, who, in an 1865 edition of the New York Daily Tribune, wrote those words as a way to encourage Americans to migrate away from the country’s founding territories in the East.

“Washington (D.C.) is not a place to live in,” he wrote. “The rents are high, the food is bad, the dust is disgusting and the morals are deplorable. Go West, young man.”

The rents in D.C. remain high, by the way.

But this story is not about the rent prices in D.C. It is about going west. To be more specific, it is about going west for a group of college athletic programs. And to get even more specific, it is about going west for the Memphis Tigers.

The Pac-12’s resurgence — taking four Mountain West Conference members — has left one school, it seems, with a decision that could completely reshape the lower half of the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Go West or not?

The next wave of college athletics realignment is nearing, and Memphis is at the center of it. (Chris McDill/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The situation

Memphis doesn’t have a formal invitation into the Pac-12, but that’s likely only because it hasn’t accepted a (forthcoming) invitation. The oft-used motto during the coaching cycle applies here: A job cannot be offered if it isn’t accepted.

The Pac-12’s pursuit of Memphis justifies what many in college athletics know to be true: The most desirable remaining Group of Five program is Memphis. The school resides in a college football hub (Memphis often ranks as a top-10 market in college football viewership); it has recent success in the sport (winning seasons in eight of the last nine, including three 10-win years); it has a historic basketball program…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/go-west-the-next-wave-of-realignment-is-in-memphis-hands-135625431.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-09-20 13:56:25

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