Memphis wants C-USA tournaments

UTEP has a major challenger for next season's Conference USA Men's and Women's basketeball tournaments. Memphis has come up with $750,000 in bait, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

The story said UTEP's bid is to be about $1 million, but Memphis officials think they can woo the conference using more than just money reasons.

This season's event was an attendance dud in Tulsa. It looked like UTEP would be a lock for next year's event. But as the Commercial Appeal story goes:

"When the Conference USA athletic directors met in Tulsa during the men's and women's basketball tournaments in March, University of Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson was surprised to learn that Texas-El Paso was ready to bid on the 2011 tournaments.
Now Johnson will head to the league's spring meetings May 18 armed with his own bid. ...  (He) was granted as much as $200,000 from the Memphis Shelby County Sports Authority to help with the school's bid.

"That money will go with the $500,000 the U of M has, along with $50,000 from the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, helping the school put in a guaranteed bid of $750,000, up from the $500,000 it had guaranteed when landing previous C-USA men's tournaments ...

"Joining the Tigers and UTEP in bidding are Houston and Tulsa.

Johnson said UTEP is putting in a $1 million guarantee. But he is confident the Tigers' bid, while smaller financially, is more attractive.
"We have our location, our experience, and the facility (FedExForum)," he said."

Until Tulsa played host, Memphis was a long-time tournament host site. But moving the site around is the fair thing to do for the economies of C-USA  cities.

El Paso, though, will have a fight on its hands as some people in some conference cities have already said they wouldn't look forward to traveling so far to El Paso.

El Paso's strategy must be to borrow from the Sun Bowl Sunnies, who have always showed visitors the best bowl-game times they've ever had. C-USA needs to be convinced El Paso can do the same for its tournaments. We need a solid team to sell El Paso: City, county, Sports Commission, Convention and Visitors Bureau, hotels, restaurants ... give C-USA the Sun Bowl treatment and ask the Sunnies, who do it best, for pointers.

 

Comments

[John C]

It is widely known that they (Memphis) wants to bolt to the Big East pretty soon.

If they are protrayed as having hosted the CUSA tournament for all but one year due to facilities, travel, availability of hotels, etc... They want to be portrayed nationally just like we do.

They will look good to Big East or whom ever comes couting in the next line of conference reallingments.

Could we be trying to highlight UTEP for a conference change also when reallingnment comes??

[Pugapalooza]

John C - Memphis is already on a national level thanks to Coach Cal and they have had some stellar nationally ranked recruiting classes for some time now including this year's class. It speaks volumes that UTEP has to pony up a cool mil to have a chance to host the tournament and it disgusts me how arrogant Memphis is regarding their chances to host the 2011 tournament, but as much as I want El Paso and UTEP to host the tourney it is highly probable the tournament will be held in Memphis. You are right that Memphis is positioning to leave CUSA for the big east, but I hope UTEP gets a shot to host the tournament and if helps (not likely) position the Miners for a better conference, so be it.

[John C]

A side bar:

Tim Hardaway Jr ranked in ESPN top 100 recruits for 2010 has signed LOI with Michigan. He is a 6'5" strong guard out of Miami Fla. I do not think Tim Hardaway SR. was that tall. His mom must be tall!

I believe that he committed in November. I wonder if Floyd was the coach here earlier--would we have had a shot at him?

[John C]

Memphis is to play Kansas (its prior nemisis) along with Michigan State and Syracuse in the December 7th 2010--Jimmy Vilvano Classic in Maddison Square Garde.

Ground Zero for Big East media attention for Memphis and to be nationally televised. Memphis commercial appeal expects all four teams to be ranked in TOp 25 next year.

Memphis is to play host to Gerorgetown also next year in Memphis.

I would say that Memphis is positioning themselves to bolt to Big East or somewhere else out of CUSA. Could this upcoming year be the last for Memphis in CUSA??

[Wild West]

UTEP and the City of El Paso really need to host the CUSA tournament in 2011 and every 3-4 years to put UTEP on the national radar screen. CUSA teams Houston, SMU, Rice and UTEP dont have a financial problem playing in El Paso but all the other schools will cry "too far and remote of a location" for thier schools.....It apears Tim Floyd is making a splash in recruiting top players into the program

[John C]

Memphis wants out of CUSA---they feel that the conference gets no respect!! And...they are too good for CUSA!!

The attached is a post from 4.30.10 Memphis Commercial Appeal stating that CUSA is in trouble:

http://blogs.commercialappeal.com/the_memphis_edge/2010/04/conference-usa-hoops-could-be-in-some-trouble-in-2010-11.html

[Arrogant R.C. Johnson & Memphis]

If Memphis gets the 2011 C-USA Tournaments it will really show how stupid the C-USA officials are, especicially considering how Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson hired someone to try to get Memphis to leave C-USA to join the Big East. Why should the C-USA officials give in to Johnson's and Memphis' demands when they want to leave the conference? Memphis hosted five, count them five straight conference tournaments. Do they really miss having there that bad? The last time they hosted it in 2009 all-session ticket sales decreased as if the Memphis locals were tired of it there. R.C. Johnson is really full of himself, just like the Memphis Tigers beat writter Dan Wolken he is one of the most arrogant persons in this conference. Listen Mr. Johnson, you should be get over yourself and at least be satisfied that the city of Memphis hosted the C-USA Tournament five straight years and stop trying to srew over the city of El Paso's turn to host the C-USA Tournament!!!!!!! If you want in the Big East fine, but you shouldn't be so confident that the C-USA officials are going to suck up to your demands every time when they already know you want out of the conference!!!!!!!

[John C]

In addition to all above:

If conferecnce reallingment comes as expected in 12-18 months---Big East will be raided almost out of existence. Then SEC will poach from ACC some strong football schools (GEorgia Tech, Miami, Clemson) and Memphis will be a good candidate for ACC with the tobacco road schools in North Carolina.

Memphis is a rich town and their supporters will travel to the tobacco road schools to wathch their team play.

They are currently trying to beef up their OCC schedule to raise RPI.

I see Tim Floyd doing the same thing.

If we raise enough anger over Memphis trying to hog the show and point out their hidden agenda maybe we have a case with the upcoming decision.

[John C]

If the arrogant attitude of the Memphis people, sports analysts and Memphis AD has not made you sick----read this it will!!

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/apr/25/conference-calls/

[Dave]

Hard to argue with a venue that people want to travel to versus not. No one wants to make the trip to El Paso. Not because El Paso is a bad place, it's just not too attractive.

If you want real fairness, which you don't I assure you, the conference could move the tournament around to EVERY member school each year. Don't feel bad, CUSA doesn't want that either.

Perhaps a location that doesn't give any member school a big advantage would be preferable. Why not New Orleans.

[John C]

If you knew that Tulane is in CUSA you would have know it is in New Orleasns also.

[miner04]

memphis is using the liberty bowl to try and get into the big east. why doesnt UTEP use the Sun Bowl to get into a better conference?

[Arrogant R.C. Johnson & Memphis]

If you want to see an example of how spoiled Memphis fans are since they hosted five straight conference tournaments take a look a this. This guy as one comment poster on his blog said just acts like an arrogant spoiled brat. He claims that Memphis and even Birmingham are more deserving to host the tournament (Birmingham's attendance has not been that good).

An excerpt: "Those three cities deserve Britton Branosky’s attention for 2011.

Not El Paso".

http://southerntimesgirlsandsports.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/el-paso-and-the-conference-usa-tournament-dont-do-it/

[John C]

The Chicago Bulls are fixing to axe their coach:

ESPN reports that Calipari is at the top of the short list:

Tim Floyd should have some words of wisdom for Coach Cal!!

[John C]

Dwayne Polee Jr update:

LA Times reports--Dwayne Polee SR tenders resignation as Trojans director of basketball operations. The link:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2010/05/usc-basketball-dwayne-polee-tenders-resignation-as-director-of-basketball-operations.html

[John C]

As per Rivals.com

Coach Calipari is interested in Bulls' coaching job

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-caliparibulls050410

[Oscar]

After reading Coach Cal's new book I can tell you that he wants to coach in the NBA again.