The Memphis Tigers have long been among the top candidates to join a power conference, and the recent additions of four Mountain West schools by the Pac-12 once again put the Tigers back in the conversation.
Memphis has been a powerhouse in the American Athletic Conference for a little over a decade, with a strong run in Conference USA before that.
The Tigers have won three bowl games since 2020, including a win in the Liberty Bowl over Iowa State last year to cap off a 10-3 season.
2024 is off to an even better start. After beating Florida State on Saturday, Memphis is now the top candidate to earn a guaranteed bid into the 12-team College Football Playoffs out of the Group of Five conferences.
The Pac-12’s four new additions from the Mountain West give them six programs, with a minimum of eight needed by July 2026 in order to compete at the FBS level. Could Memphis be moving to the Pac-12 in 2026? We look at the pros and cons:
The Pros
Memphis is arguably the most recognizable college brand that isn’t currently affiliated with a power conference, outside of maybe Gonzaga.
The Tigers have won seven or more games in nine of the past 10 full seasons on the gridiron, and 19 or more games in every single season in the AAC except one…when they went 18-14. The sustained success in both football and men’s basketball is second to none among Group of Five programs, making them an easy target for a conference hoping to bolster the quality of programs in its arsenal.
Memphis is also a premier media market, and while the geography isn’t exactly a fit with the current six Pac-12 members, the idea of adding a footprint in Tennessee and the southeast is no doubt a major draw for the conference. Getting to do so while also adding a program that elevates the competition level of the two revenue generating sports is a win-win.
The Cons
Geography. It’s easy to simplify the cons into one word, but effectively it is the biggest issue facing Memphis and the Pac-12 as a fit. Memphis fits far better in the Big 12 geographically, and if university leadership thinks that’s an option it could prevent them from accepting an invite into the Pac-12.
For the Pac-12 to make this work, likely another team joins alongside Memphis as a travel partner. Plenty of options exist for the conference to consider, including Tulane, Tulsa, and UTSA, but it does make Memphis a slightly trickier target as they would be on an island out east without a travel partner.
Recent reports surrounding the men’s basketball program and Penny Hardaway could give the Pac-12 some pause as well, although nothing substantial is confirmed as of this writing.
Verdict
Memphis is perhaps the most obvious target for the Pac-12 at this point, and unless the program wants to wait to see if a Big 12 invite is coming this should be a no brainer on both sides. The geography is a factor, but if another team (Tulane seems to make the most sense) emerges as a travel partner, this could get done pretty quickly.