On the recordOctober 27, 2011
Tonight is going to be the sixth game of the World Series. Sports means money, business, and jobs. The St. Louis economy has been spurred on by the World Series to where they're not cutting employees because they have had increased sales tax. It's the same way with college sports. I want to encourage all the Big East presidents to consider the University of Memphis for membership. Memphis is a major city. It is the home of Federal Express, International Paper, and other major companies. We don't have a professional football team in Memphis. So if we get in the Big East, in essence, you are our professional football team and the city would rally around it, unlike in Dallas and Houston, where they have professional teams. The Big East is known for basketball. Rick Pitino, the coach of our rival, the University of Louisville, has suggested Memphis should be in the conference to keep the Big East as a primary basketball conference. What a great thing to see Memphis and Louisville again in a conference game. We ought to be beyond just dollars--although Memphis can bring them-- but also competitive rivalries that make the sport what it has been in the American appetite. I encourage the Big East to include the University of Memphis in its expansion plans. ____________________
