Keep foot on the gas for Tiger teams
The emergence of the Power 5 conferences (i.e., Big 12, Big 10, ACC, SEC and PAC 12) and the NCAA’s approval of the payment of stipends to athletes has forever changed the Division 1 landscape.
As evidenced by recent headlines regarding conference payouts, coming mostly from television revenues, the disparity between the Power 5 and other Football Bowl Subdivision conferences is considerable and likely to only widen in the coming years, with payouts in the SEC at more than $31 million per school and the Big 12 registering more than $25 million per school this past year. By comparison, the American Athletic Conference distributed revenue of slightly more than $2 million per school.
Further complicating matters are a number of lawsuits by current and former student-athletes against the NCAA that are in process through the legal system. As is evident, it is difficult for nonPower 5 schools to compete on what is becoming an increasingly lopsided playing field.
Despite the challenges, the University of Memphis is firmly committed to competing at the highest level in Division 1. The reality is that the U of M Athletic Department has experienced somewhat of a renaissance, with our football program finishing the year with a win in the Miami Beach Bowl and ranked in the top 25 for the first time in history.
Even with a disappointing year in basketball, our men’s program is one of the best in the nation and is poised for success in 2015-2016, and our women are improving and close to returning to postseason play.
Our baseball program had a remarkable run and warranted strong consideration for a slot in the postseason. Track and field was well represented at the NCAA nationals, with multiple AllAmericans. Our tennis programs are consistently among the top 50 programs, and our golf teams are competing well and on the verge of breakout years.
All Olympic sports are making steady progress and performing well. Our athletic department, arguably the most visible at the U of M, is performing well — well enough to compete and win at the highest level of competition in Division 1.
Recently, a request was forwarded via Twitter to U of M fans to share their thoughts about the
importance of athletics, not just for our university, but also for the broader Memphis community. The response was impressive.
One thing is clear: We have some of the best fans in the country. They’re thoughtful, articulate and passionate.
U of M athletics serves multiple roles in our community and is an extraordinary source of pride, facilitating a sense of belonging and unity that reaches well beyond the boundaries of campus and our city.
Quite a few fans mentioned that Tiger athletics has played a unifying role in an all-too-often divided city. Several mentioned that Tiger athletics provides visibility unlike any other element at the U of M, a fact that has compelled us to leverage that visibility in our new recruitment and marketing campaign, providing the opportunity for us to share exceptional academics and cutting-edge research with potential students and the wider world.
Although not a Power 5 conference member currently, our athletic programs are nationally prominent and certainly positioned among the nation’s best. Tiger fans need to recognize that we are anything but passive when it comes to the current environment.
We are committed to keeping our university and Tiger athletics competitive at the highest level in Division 1. We want to thank our fans for their loyalty, passion and commitment to the University of Memphis.
As we move into a new academic year, we ask for your continued support. The single most important thing Memphians can do to help keep us nationally relevant in our pursuit of excellence is to be a part of our game day and cheer for our student-athletes.
Buying season tickets, in basketball and football in particular, is a profound and effective way of making a difference. As is evident, the costs are significant and the playing field increasingly uneven. We are optimistic about the future of Tiger athletics and about the future of our university.