Memphis Sports Scene Has Historically Awful 24-Hour Period Between Grizzlies, Tigers, And Showboats News
The Memphis sports scene can not catch a break.
The city and people of Memphis could use a win, and while positive sports news wouldn't necessarily impact the day-to-day issues of the community, it certainly wouldn't hurt. Unfortunately, the Memphis sports scene has endured one of the worst 24-hour stretches one could ever imagine.
The biggest blow came on Monday when it was revealed that the University of Memphis had been rejected again in its latest attempt to join the Big 12 conference. The Tigers have long wanted to leave the American and take a step-up in the collegiate sports world, and while their latest effort to do so wasn't at all surprising, the details were stunning, and one could argue the result was equally embarrassing.
The Memphis athletic department submitted a proposal to the Big 12, which included the conference receiving $200 million in exchange for extending an invitation to the Tigers.
The Big 12 said no thanks.
Memphis was willing to write a $200 million check, and the Big 12 said ‘we don’t want your money.'
Yes, the Tigers offering up that type of money shows they care, but the Big 12 turning it down shows that it has zero interest in adding Memphis into the fold.
Memphis was turned down by the Big 12. (Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The not-so-positive news for Memphis continued on Tuesday when Mayor Paul Young stated that it was "unlikely an agreement will be in place this summer" for the Memphis Grizzlies to extend their lease inside of FedEx Forum beyond 2029.
Lease negotiations between the team, the city of Memphis, and Shelby County "wear on."
This isn't a cause for immediate panic, but it does keep the flames lit when it comes to the never-silent rumors of the Grizzlies potentially relocating years down the line. To say the Grizzlies leaving the city of Memphis would leave an unfathomably large void in the city would be an understatement.
The rumors of the Grizzlies possibly relocating in the future continue to exist. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
News of lease negotiations being put on the back burner broke on Tuesday morning, but another hit came on Tuesday evening when it was reported by UFL News Hub that the league would be making sweeping changes for 2025.
One of those changes is the Memphis Showboats leaving the city. The Birmingham Stallions, Michigan Panthers, and Houston Roughnecks are also "out" of the league.
The UFL isn't exactly a driving force in the local economy, but Showboat games did provide an activity in the city, the team did have a fanbase, and at the end of the day, it's just another organization wanting out of Memphis.