Memphis should follow Gonzaga to Pac-12 as per NCAA analyst’s harsh reality check: “Nobody cares”
The Memphis Tigers basketball program made three NCAA Tournament appearances in the last decade. Since making it to the national championship game in 2008, they have struggled to replicate the success.
Their NCAA run after the Final loss was followed by a series of disappointing seasons, with only one Sweet 16 appearance and failing to even go past the first round in most years.
On Tuesday's CBS' "Eye on College Basketball" podcast, basketball analysts Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander discussed the current state of the Tigers and their future in the American Athletic Conference. They also talked about following Gonzaga's lead and joining the Pac-12.
"I have Twitter sources say ... the Pac-12 needs to absolutely go back to Memphis right now and try and get them to be the eighth school. ... Now that you have Gonzaga in, and it's official. ... You've got Utah State," Norlander said.
Parrish, who graduated from Memphis and has covered the school for decades and is still based in Memphis, compared the AAC to a decaying neighborhood and that Tigers fans are apathetic to the conference.
“Nobody cares,” Parrish said.
Parrish said that "in two years, people won't recognize anybody in the AAC" and that, as the league crumbles in quality, the NIL value to attract players will diminish. He said the Pac-12 is the best conference to have reached out to the school throughout all the realignment iterations for years.
"People are out on this version of the Memphis in this version of the AAC," Parrish said.
This week, Gonzaga announced it will switch from the West Coast Conference to Pac-12 starting from the 2026–27 season. Likewise, Utah State is also moving from the Mountain West to Pac-12.
Memphis coach Penny Hardaway talks about the decision to remain in AAC
Penny Hardaway, a seventh-season coach for the Tigers, gave his insight on why the University of Memphis opted to stay in the American Athletic Conference.
"You've got to trust your administration and know they're doing the right thing for you," Hardaway said at a media conference last week.
"Again, I'm loyal to the conference. I'm hoping that we get more respect because we deserve more respect. I'm loyal to the AAC and happy to still be here right now."
Coach Hardaway has led the Tigers to one NIT championship and one AAC tournament title in his six seasons at the school.
They will play two exhibition games against North Carolina and Alabama this month before kicking off their nonconference slate against Missouri on Nov. 4 at the FedEx Forum. The Tigers' first conference game is against Florida Atlantic on Jan. 2.