Memphis Offers Big 12 Membership Proposal Worth $200 Million
Memphis is making headlines with an ambitious pitch to join the Big 12 Conference, reportedly committing to "hundreds of millions" in sponsorships, as reported by Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports. The university has approached the Big 12 with a proposal valued at nearly $200 million over five years, aiming to strengthen its membership bid.
The offer is structured in three parts, designed to mitigate risk for the Big 12. Notably, Memphis would not share in revenue during the last five years of the current ESPN/FOX TV deal. Instead, the university promises to generate over $150 million in sponsorship deals during the same period. Furthermore, Memphis is willing to face expulsion from the conference if it does not deliver additional value by the 2030-31 academic year.
However, support for the proposal within the Big 12 may be lacking. Twelve of the conference’s 16 current members must back the addition of Memphis for the proposal to proceed. This could prove challenging, as Memphis was scrutinized but ultimately not chosen during the Big 12’s previous expansion that welcomed Cincinnati, UCF, Houston, and BYU.
Memphis has been a member of the American Athletic Conference since 2013 and hopes that its substantial financial commitments will set a precedent for future expansion in college sports. As the landscape of collegiate athletics continues to evolve, Memphis’s offer could reshape discussions around conference realignment and membership standards.
For more updates on this developing story, stay tuned.
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