Big 12 Rejects Memphis Despite Offer to Buy Conference Invite

The Big 12 appears to be staying put at 16 teams for the time being. And if the conference does expand, it’s now clear Memphis won’t be an option.

Squashing the hopes of the Memphis athletic program, the Big 12 has rejected the Tigers’ plans to buy their way into a Power Four conference. Brett McMurphy of On3 Sports broke the news on Monday, claiming sources have told him that the Big 12 is simply “not interested” in Memphis.

Memphis offered $250 million in sponsorship money to the Big 12 for an invite to join the conference.

The Tigers were first brought up as a potential new Big 12 member back in 2023 before the former Pac-12 schools officially became part of the current Big 12. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark then denied meeting about the possibility of adding Memphis just over a week later.

“I’ve never met with anyone at Memphis about adding them to the Big 12, nor have I been on campus,” Yormark said to ESPN’s Pete Thamel in June of 2023.

Aside from their clear desire to try to buy their way in, Memphis’ case for inclusion also stems from providing the Big 12 with more of footprint in the south. Athletically speaking, there’s some relearnt history as far as Memphis basketball (their 2008 runner-up finish has been vacated by the NCAA), but football doesn’t move the needle, granted the Tigers did beat West Virginia in the 2024 Frisco Bowl.

Memphis currently resides in the American Conference, which came to existence following the dissolution of the old Big East.

Find more coverage of the Big 12 at WV Spots Now.

For a related story, Jake Retzlaff finds new team after leaving BYU.