According to a report from John Canzano, the Pac-12 appears to have zeroed in on a couple of top G5 programs to round out the membership in their new-look league.
“The University of Memphis and Tulane University have emerged as the top targets of the Pac-12 as the conference prepares to take a second bite of the expansion apple,” Canzano writes.
“Those two American Athletic Conference schools are expected to be among the topics discussed at a midweek meeting between leaders of the Pac-12’s growing membership, sources told this publication.”
This report from Canzano corroborates what we heard from The Athletic over the weekend, as Bruce Feldman reported that the Green Wave and Tigers were receiving interest from the Pac-12.
While adding the likes of Tulane and Memphis wouldn’t make a ton of sense from a geographical standpoint, name a conference that has maintained true geographical integrity through this wave of expansion. Even the Southeastern Conference, perhaps the only league that’s kept some semblance of the same footprint, has expanded into the state of Oklahoma — which is undoubtedly more Midwest than it is Southeast.
However, the additions of Tulane and Memphis would be major competitive enhancements for the Pac-12. Tulane has been one of the top Group of Five schools in America recently, going 24-7 over the last three seasons.
Meanwhile, Memphis is starting to come into its own as one of the top G5 programs in college football, 20-9 over the last three seasons and coming off a 10-3 season that ended with a win over Iowa State.
After landing Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State, existing members Oregon State and Washington State would be downright gitty about getting Memphis and Tulane to sign on after what they’ve been through over the last year.
