If you want to know how pathetic the Memphis Tigers football program is, just look at the list of schools that could be asked to join the Big East Conference.
With Pittsburgh and Syracuse definitely set to join the ACC, and Connecticut reportedly looking to become part of the Atlantic Coast Conference as well, presidents of the remaining Big East schools have given commissioner John Marinatto the authority to “aggressively pursue discussions” with a short list of schools that may be interested in joining the league.
That short list reportedly includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Temple, Central Florida and SMU, but there’s no mention of the University of Memphis.
The Tigers omission from the Big East’s list speaks volumes about the Memphis football program, but more importantly, it should serve as a wake up call to university president Shirley Raines and athletic director R.C. Johnson.
Being left off a list of schools that wouldn’t be mentioned among the candidates to join any of the other major BCS conferences is the ultimate slap in the face.
Not that it comes as a surprise, but when a school like Memphis can’t make a short list that includes Army, Navy and Air Force, that tells you everything you need know about how bad the Tigers football program is.
Memphis lost to previously winless Middle Tennessee State on Saturday, the second loss of the season to a team from the Sunbelt Conference.
The Tigers have one win thus far, a 27-6 victory over FCS opponent Austin Peay and is likely the only win they’ll get this season.
Memphis appears to be well on their way to a second straight 1-11 season, which in most cases would get the head coach fired and maybe the athletic director too.
But Johnson, who was the athletic director at Temple before coming to Memphis, has overseen the Tigers athletic department for more than 15 years and doesn’t appear to be in danger of losing his job, despite all the many failures of the football program.
Although Johnson is credited with raising millions of dollars to support the football program, those efforts haven’t translated into wins.
And he doesn’t seem to have a clue how to fix Memphis’ problem either, which doesn’t bode well for the Tigers hopes of one day becoming a member of a major BCS conference.
To put everything into perspective, when you can’t make a list of schools the lowly Big East is looking to add, that day of finally joining a major BCS conference is very far away.
