Shut out of FedExForum since its opening in 2004, the SEC is considering Memphis as a host site for its men's basketball tournament.
League officials Craig Mattox and Chuck Dunlap were in Memphis on Tuesday to also view AutoZone Park and consider it for a future league baseball tournament.
Kevin Kane, president and CEO of the Memphis Convention and Tourist Bureau, said Wednesday that the city put in "an aggressive bid" last week for the 2015 basketball tournament. The SEC doesn't take bids for the baseball tournament, but its current contract at its Hoover, Ala. site, where the tournament has been since 1998, expires in 2011.
"The two men's tournaments we hosted here, with all due respect to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl and the Southern Heritage Classic, were two of the biggest events we've ever had here," Kane said. "The hotels were rock-solid sold out from one end of Shelby County to the other for four days."
Kane said in accordance with FedExForum's contract with the University of Memphis, he had to get permission from University of Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson to submit a bid for the basketball tournament. He said the university would receive financial remuneration if the SEC chose Memphis as a site.
The SEC has held two men's basketball tournaments (1994, 1997) and one women's tournament (2001), all at The Pyramid. Kane said that the SEC never asked Memphis to submit a bid and the city never pursued another bid since moving into FedExForum, because former Memphis coach John Calipari nixed the idea. Calipari made sure the U of M hosted the C-USA tournament, which was in Memphis for five straight years until this past season when it moved to Tulsa.
"Coach Cal did not want us to do it, because he thought SEC schools could use that as a recruiting tool," Kane said. "We weren't going to win that battle. This time, R.C. didn't like the idea again, but he thought it would be good for the city. I appreciated it, because I thought it was the right thing to do."
Other cities that have bid for the '15 basketball tournament are Nashville (which hosted this year's tournament and is set again for 2013), New Orleans (which has the tournament 2012), Orlando (which will have a new arena) and Tampa (which hosted in '08 and had one of the lowest attended SEC tournaments in history.
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Comments » 30
PepperGrinder (Inactive) writes:
"He said the university would receive financial remuneration if the SEC chose Memphis as a site."
Id rather not support Tiger High.
Mule_Days_King writes:
Nashville every year. :)
TLepage writes:
i agree, i hate that school.... but i went to tampa and had a blast... I understand the attendance in tampa was low, but i thought it was a fun place to have the tournament.... I enjoyed it a lot.... I'm also in favor of nashville, because that favors UT in terms of attendance...
Georgia_Dave writes:
Except it didn't seem to help attendance this past time.
AtLeastMyTeamHasPerfectSeasons writes:
These kids have enough trouble staying straight as it is. Send them to Memphis for 4 days and surely some arrests will come out of that Heck-Hole.
AtLeastMyTeamHasPerfectSeasons writes:
Watch a Memphis episode of "The First 48" and anyone would be scared to even stop for gas there...
marinevol writes:
This would give an unfair home court advantage to Ole Miss and Arkansas, as well as any team playing UT.
keepitreal4vols writes:
The SEC needs to remember where their bread is buttered. If it was up to Memphis, they would pull a west virginia and annex themselves into their own state. St Petersburg was a disaster but Nashville was rocking. Keep it in SEC country, why change what works? In 2015, Memphis might be Big 12 country.
BIVOLAR_BEAR writes:
Although I absolutely hate Memphis with every fiber of my soul, I am really close and would attend a tourney there..GBO!!
BIVOLAR_BEAR writes:
C'mon, Ole Miss plays in the Tad Pad which is usually about 1/2 full and only seats 9,000..I think UT can bring a heck of a lot more than that..As for Ark. it depends on how sorry they are playing..Either way UT should be the most supported area team at a tourney im Mempho..Just a thought.
keepitreal4vols writes:
UT most supported???? Have you never seen Kentucky Bball fans travel?
Any sight of Orange colors in Memphis and the locals blood pressure rises about 30 notches. Memphis's favorite teams are Memphis and whoever is playing UT.
osbymartin#581730 writes:
Okay Ole Miss I get distance wise they are the closest. But, why Arkansas? There are 3 other schools that are closer than them. Alabama, MSU, and Vandy. South Carolina and Florida would hate it being moved farther west lol! It would be double digit hours for them. Any location that you have the tournament in SEC country someone will have a distance advantage. St. Pete (UF), Nashville (VU), Atlanta (UGA), Memphis (OM), New Orleans (LSU).
Slystone writes:
You know there is a lot of hate for Memphis here and yet you all wonder why UT can't recruit the Bluff City. Trust me these kids, their families and friends read what you say.
tnmantravel#531151 writes:
OKEMO SAY
"We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can't speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees."
we must not allow our children to go to the waste land known as memphis
OKEMO HAS SPOKEN
TheFuj writes:
Memphis is an armpit. Recruits can read whatever, the city still sucks. Definitely will not attend the tournament if it is in Memphis.
Mule_Days_King writes:
Or at any traffic signal in Gainesville.
MYTVLZ writes:
Both these events would be great in Memphis. No offense to the nashville arena which I've been to several times, but FedEx Forum is WAY nicer and its one block off beale street. So you have all the bar, places to eat, and then can walk over the games, perfect!
Also, Autozone park is an unreal baseball venue, downtown, just a couple blocks from Beale, same deal. I've never been to Hoover, but have heard it is way out with nothing around it.
Both of these would be great in Memphis.
keepitreal4vols writes:
More like during a Florida football game and having your team leader gouge your eyes out while laying defenseless.
dlj004 writes:
It is incomprehensible why any Vol fan would oppose an opportunity to showcase our university in front of Memphis recruits.
The facts:
Rivals 2010 top 150 national bb recruits:
Memphis (3): #18 Joe Jackson/#54 Tarik Black/#72 Chris Crawford
Rest of TN (1): #71 Casey Prather (Jackson)
2011:
Memphis (5): #11 Adonis Thomas/#36 Chris Jones (TN commit.)/ #67 Cedrick McAfee/ #92 Andre Hollins/#103 Octavious Ellis
Rest of TN (1): #85 Kendrick Johnson (Lewisburg)
That is why Bruce Pearl desperately wants to be successful in Memphis.
Oh yeah, regarding football: Dan Williams (Memphis Melrose) #26 overall 2010 NFL Draft.
VolunteerLifer writes:
Excellent points. An SEC tourney in Memphis would be a great recruiting exposure for UT. Although the fans wouldn't want to go wandering into unknown parts of the city, the downtown area around the crowds of Beale St, the hotels, the Fed Ex Forum, etc, is safe. I'd go to a tournament and support UT if it were held there.
keepitreal4vols writes:
Guess what...we would not be the only SEC team playing in Memphis. There are 11 other schools looking to recruit the same wasteland. 3 years ago we went into Memphis and knocked off the #1 team in the country and what did that get us for 2009 or 2010...NOTHING! Coach Cal leaves and the kids still sign with Memphis. So playing a tourney in Memphis is the magic dust to open up the pipeline? I don't think so.
Raynoch writes:
The tourney in Nashville actually benefited UK's attendance. That semi-final was flat out embarrassing.
dlj004 writes:
What did it get for you? Did you read my post? Do you pay attention to recruiting?
Chris Jones ring a bell?
osbymartin#581730 writes:
There is no doubt that the Memphis area has a lot of good high school talent. I think we will be able to go into Memphis and get some of that talent (i.e. Chris Jones) And is Kedren Johnson and Kendrick Johnson related??? lol
stevefrommemphis writes:
Kevin Kane has the toughest job in Tennessee - trying to promote Memphis.
Why not just not have an SEC Tournament since it is pretty much meaningless?
I am one of the few people who attended the tournament in Orlando in either 1990 or 91.
jpark001 writes:
"Memphis isn't a sports city, nor is it a city that would attract enough to have the NCAA plant their tourney there.
What? Memphis (FedEX Forum) hosted the NCAA basketball Tournament Regional Finals for the Men (UNC beat Oklahoma) and Women (Duke/Baylor) during the past two seasons????? Research much?
BIVOLAR_BEAR writes:
That was before the Squid stole their team and was responsible for NCAA sanctions..GBO!!
AtLeastMyTeamHasPerfectSeasons writes:
Hey haters, its Thursday, on A&E at 7PM is a Memphis episode of The First 48. Watch it and see why Memphis has been in the top 5 for crime/homicides for years now.
gainesville_vol writes:
Uh, how much longer does it take to fly from Columbia or Gainesville to Memphis in lieu of Nashville? 30 minutes or less.
How much longer would it take to drive to Memphis in lieu of Nashville? About 2 hours from Gainesville, 2 1/2 from Columbia. Not a big deal if you really want to go.
osbymartin#581730 writes:
I never said it was a big deal. I responded to a poster talking about moving the tourney to Memphis would be an unfair home court advantage for Ole Miss and Arkansas. If the fans want to go they will go rather it is in Nashville, Memphis, St. Louis, or Los Angeles. Location doesn't matter.
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