Hi MT.org board. I haven't posted in a couple of months. Honestly had concluded the Big 12 would not expand now, so quit posting about it. Glad to be wrong.

Love this Dan Wolken tweet. (Wolken has great access to U of M still, first to report Tubby and many other things.)

Dan Wolken ‏@DanWolken 4m4 minutes ago
Interesting to hear one of Memphis’ pitches to Big 12 is its campus diversity, an area where Big 12 schools are woefully underrepresented.

What is our supposedly biggest weakness in the expansion derby? Academics, right. What does any good salesman do? Turn a weakness into a strength. We have to pitch our university's mission to our diverse population. So what if our incoming ACT score average is lower than others? We are serving a higher purpose, i.e. giving opportunity to students who otherwise wouldn't have one.

Plus, it's brilliant in its appeal to university presidents, who no doubt lean towards the liberal/progressive side of the aisle, and who will eat this stuff up.

It's got to be more than just FedEx dollars, even if that is what's really most important. Gives B12 presidents cover if they choose us despite our poor academic ranking.

(07-23-2016 12:12 PM)Tigx Wrote:  Hi MT.org board. I haven't posted in a couple of months. Honestly had concluded the Big 12 would not expand now, so quit posting about it. Glad to be wrong.

Love this Dan Wolken tweet. (Wolken has great access to U of M still, first to report Tubby and many other things.)

Dan Wolken ‏@DanWolken 4m4 minutes ago
Interesting to hear one of Memphis’ pitches to Big 12 is its campus diversity, an area where Big 12 schools are woefully underrepresented.

What is our supposedly biggest weakness in the expansion derby? Academics, right. What does any good salesman do? Turn a weakness into a strength. We have to pitch our university's mission to our diverse population. So what if our incoming ACT score average is lower than others? We are serving a higher purpose, i.e. giving opportunity to students who otherwise wouldn't have one.

Plus, it's brilliant in its appeal to university presidents, who no doubt lean towards the liberal/progressive side of the aisle, and who will eat this stuff up.

It's got to be more than just FedEx dollars, even if that is what's really most important. Gives B12 presidents cover if they choose us despite our poor academic ranking.

Kudos....gr8 point...gr8 post

Posted from my mobile device using the CSNbbs App

Interesting.

(07-23-2016 12:12 PM)Tigx Wrote:  Hi MT.org board. I haven't posted in a couple of months. Honestly had concluded the Big 12 would not expand now, so quit posting about it. Glad to be wrong.

Love this Dan Wolken tweet. (Wolken has great access to U of M still, first to report Tubby and many other things.)

Dan Wolken ‏@DanWolken 4m4 minutes ago
Interesting to hear one of Memphis’ pitches to Big 12 is its campus diversity, an area where Big 12 schools are woefully underrepresented.

What is our supposedly biggest weakness in the expansion derby? Academics, right. What does any good salesman do? Turn a weakness into a strength. We have to pitch our university's mission to our diverse population. So what if our incoming ACT score average is lower than others? We are serving a higher purpose, i.e. giving opportunity to students who otherwise wouldn't have one.

Plus, it's brilliant in its appeal to university presidents, who no doubt lean towards the liberal/progressive side of the aisle, and who will eat this stuff up.

It's got to be more than just FedEx dollars, even if that is what's really most important. Gives B12 presidents cover if they choose us despite our poor academic ranking.

The lead in for that came early by identifying the UM record of graduating AA students. Among the best in the country for non HBCUs.

HBCUs???

Historically Black Colleges and Universities, I think.

(07-23-2016 01:22 PM)Tigx Wrote:  Historically Black Colleges and Universities, I think.

thanks

That's smart leadership

I'm not exactly sure why academics is such the driver... Do merit scholars cross Duke off their list because they play Florida State? Is Vandy hurt because Mississippi State is not thought of equally academically? Memphis is an public, urban school in a poor city. It's mission is different than Baylor's, yet it doesn't mean that both sets of graduates do not have to compete in the workforce; and it doesn't mean one is more prepared than the other. It's silly, really.

Academics is a non-starter, at least for the Big XII, who is just trying to survive. The Big Ten can ask you for your AAU card. Big XII gives no f*cks.

If suddenly Memphis is a P5 program tomorrow morning, our university will be treated like a P5 university. Period. That's all it takes.

Academic ratings are much about public perception. When we get in the Big12 we will be seen in a different light. It happened to Louisville.

(07-23-2016 03:55 PM)mphsfan Wrote:  Academic ratings are much about public perception. When we get in the Big12 we will be seen in a different light. It happened to Louisville.

AAC University of Memphis is a Tier 2 (near miss Tier 1 ) School

Big12 University of Memphis is a Tier 1 (barely above Tier 2) School.

Tier 1 is Tier one , just like Vandy is P5, if you are in you are in, man I hope we get in...

R u saying we've let some dumb asses in. What's the percentage and more importantly how many get a degree