What AAC commish Tim Pernetti said about Memphis and the future of the basketball tournament
Whether Memphis eventually moves to the Pac-12 — or any other conference looking to expand — remains to be seen.
The Tigers have been the subject of widespread reporting and speculation in recent days as a primary target for the recently revived Pac-12. With new AAC commissioner Tim Pernetti in Memphis on Tuesday for previously scheduled meetings with new Tigers athletic director Ed Scott, Pernetti also met with local reporters at the Penny Hardaway Hall of Fame.
He was asked about the prospect of moving the conference men’s and women’s basketball tournaments out of Fort Worth, Texas, after 2025 as part of an effort to potentially convince Memphis to stay in the AAC for the time being. A neutral-site postseason tournament at Dickie's Arena didn't exactly sit well with Memphis fans when the change was made prior to the 2019-20 season, and it has worn increasingly thin in the years since.
“Did I offer it? You’re suggesting that I have bargaining chips to offer,” Pernetti responded. “Just to be clear, we’ve got a great relationship in Fort Worth with Dickie’s. It’s a great arena. We haven’t had any discussion with them about the future beyond (2025).
“Like I said when I got hired (earlier this year), nothing’s off the table. I think we’ll look at everything with all our conference championships, including basketball, to see what the best fit is. Years ago, when Memphis was in Conference USA, I came to the basketball tournament here. I know this is a town that has the ability to host and do a great job with a variety of conference championships.”
Dickie’s Arena has served as the host venue for the AAC men’s and women’s basketball tournaments since 2020 (which was canceled due to the pandemic). Before that, the tournament rotated among a handful of locales, including Memphis (2014 and 2019).
As for how Pernetti's meeting with Scott and other members of the Memphis athletic department went Tuesday, he left it the same way he walked into it.
“I don’t think I walked into the meeting (with Scott) with a less than optimistic point of view,” Pernetti said. “And that’s where I remain. I felt good about the meeting — and especially good about the transparency.
“If I don’t hear something out of Ed’s mouth, to me, it’s not true.”
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Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: AAC commissioner 'optimistic' after meeting with Memphis AD Ed Scott
