August 14, 2016 - University of Memphis Athletic Director Tom Bowen (left) and President David Rudd chat with each other during the Tigers scrimmage at Trinity Christian Academy in Jackson, Tenn., last month. According to reports Friday by ESPN, Memphis was not among the Big 12 expansion finalist. (Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal)

U of M president tweets urging to attend Saturday game

By Phil Stukenborg and David Williams of The Commercial Appeal

ESPN’s report that the University of Memphis has been eliminated from Big 12 expansion consideration was met with silence from U of M President M. David Rudd, citing a nondisclosure agreement.

“Despite numerous requests, I have not and will not respond to questions about Big XII expansion,” Rudd said late Friday in a statement on his Twitter account. “We will honor this commitment to confidentiality.”

ESPN, citing sources, reported earlier Friday that Memphis, “once considered a viable Big 12 expansion candidate in part because of its backing by FedEx,” had been eliminated, leaving 11 candidates: Air Force, BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, Colorado State, UConn, Houston, Rice, South Florida, SMU and Tulane.

Memphis did not make latest Big 12 expansion cut sources told @ESPN. The 11 that did: AF BYU UCF Cincinnati UConn CSU UH Rice USF SMU Tulane — Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) September 2, 2016

The report has not been confirmed by The Commercial Appeal, which received a copy of the nondisclosure agreement after a public-records request. If the report is accurate, it would be a major setback for the U of M and for Rudd, who made a Power 5 conference berth a priority of his presidency.

With the support of FedEx, a rising football program, and multimillion-dollar upgrades to facilities, Memphis was seen as a strong contender, particularly if the Big 12 added four rather than two schools.

However, it appears the Big 12’s finalist list places an emphasis on academics, a widely discussed weakness of the U of M and one that may have doomed its bid. In the most recent U.S. News & World Report education rankings, the 11 finalists — as per the ESPN report — were in the top 190 (Air Force was ranked 29th in the National Liberal Arts Colleges Rankings). Memphis was not ranked as the magazine lists only the top 200 national universities.

Football has been considered the driving force of conference realignment, but the Big 12 indicated academics matter, as well. When the league’s board of directors asked commissioner Bob Bowlsby to “actively evaluate” expansion following a July 19 meeting in Dallas, among the criteria was “the academic standards of schools” according to board of directors chairman David Boren, the Oklahoma president.

Rudd’s Twitter statement touted Memphis on all fronts, including academics. “We have an unwavering commitment to excellence at the U of M in the classroom, in the lab and on the field,” he wrote. “That commitment has never been stronger.”

The statement also lauded a U of M faculty that continues to “push the boundaries of science, excel in the creative arts and deliver a cutting edge education to the next generation of leaders.”

In interviews earlier this year, Rudd said the U.S. News & World Report rankings rely heavily on the subjective opinions of university administrators.

Academic questions aside, Memphis was seen as a candidate with key strengths — especially the support of FedEx and its founder and CEO, Fred Smith — and Rudd was aggressive in his lobbying efforts.

In February, Rudd wrote a letter to West Virginia President Gordon Gee, who was part of the league’s three-man expansion, or composition, committee. Oklahoma President David Boren, an outspoken proponent of league expansion, was copied on the letter as was the third member of the committee, former Baylor president Ken Starr. The Commercial Appeal obtained the letter in a public-records request, and the document also included a letter from Smith, who said FedEx would be willing to sponsor the league’s football championship game if Memphis was invited.

Rudd’s letter also detailed a $500 million investment in academic and athletic infrastructure that has begun.

Smith, in his letter, spoke of FedEx strongly supporting the U of M’s campaign and said FedEx would be “prepared to become a major Big 12 sponsor of football and basketball.”

Rudd’s February letter also indicated the U of M would be in position “to request only a portion of new revenue for several years until renegotiation” of the conference’s media rights, which end after the 2024-25 season. ESPN’s sources indicated the move may have damaged the U of M’s chances, making it appear as if the U of M would not “strengthen and add value” to the Big 12.

When reached by The CA on Friday, Smith referred to a statement his office has routinely sent out when asked about Big 12 matters: “All matters concerning the Big 12 are handled by the University of Memphis.”

Kevin Kane, president of the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau, said, if true, the news is disappointing, but not devastating.

“It’s not the end of the world,” he said. “You can have a Power 5 program without being in a Power 5 conference. We’ve proven that with some of our successes in basketball, where we’re clearly a Power 5 program regardless of our conference.”

Kane said he was shocked that 11 teams were considered more attractive to the Big 12 than Memphis.

“I find that hard to believe,” he said. “It’s disappointing from the standpoint of the type teams we would have had come in here in basketball and football. I guess the best antidote to all this is to win, win, win. If the football team keeps winning and the basketball team starts winning again (consistently going to the NCAA Tournament), we’ll still have a great sports experience here.”