The past week has been strange. It started with the University of Memphis Football team losing a heartbreaker to Navy. Leaving the team’s hope for a playoff spot in limbo. Next, the University of Memphis turned down an offer to join the new Pac-12. Memphis decided to stay and recommitted to the AAC.
These two occurrences elevated my concern for the future of the university. I am concerned about the future fan base. The current Tiger fans are older and the glory days are hard to remember. It’s been 18 years since the Tigers played for a National Championship. Football has had some success, but I believe it is not enough to energize the fan base.
The fanbase needs a reason to be excited. The University missed the opportunity to create some attention, by not joining the Pac-12. There are some uncertainties about the new league. But the new league is better than the current league the Tigers are a member of. In the current state of the Pac-12, there are five schools in the top 100 in basketball and football. In the AAC, Memphis is the only school in those rankings.
The future of the fanbase is important. The University has to create a reason for the fans to be excited. 2008 was a long time ago. The four-year-old children that were born in 2008 haven’t seen a successful season. Most of the younger Memphians have not experienced the Tiger’s success. They don’t have the same fascination with the Tigers as their parents. We must protect the growl and create a future that will create future Tiger Fans.
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