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Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, and USF have been contacted by the Pac-12, AAC can destroy Mountain West

By Andrew Hughes

Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, and USF all got Pac-12 invites, and there's a major potential domino effect that can come from that
Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, and USF all got Pac-12 invites, and there's a major potential domino effect that can come from that / Jonathan Bachman/GettyImages
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Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, and USF have all received Pac-12 invites according to Stream On's Jim Williams; who confirmed the report with USA Today on September 21. Additionally, if those schools take the invite, the AAC could explore poaching what's left of the Mountain West.

"Per USATODAY and I can confirm have been contacted by the Pac-12 about Possible membership - but all four are waiting to see if a move would be worth it $$$," Williams wrote. "All four are also under consideration by the ACC - so stay tuned. Also (The AAC) will explore some Mountain West schools - stay tuned! This is the long game for these schools. Patience my friends!"

With that said, the invites might not directly mean that these teams will join the Pac-12. Forgetting that none of them make sense from a regional perspective, the ACC may be an option for one, if not several, of these programs.

Memphis can join the ACC, according to reporter

CBS Sports' Gary Parrish, a Memphis alum and resident, believes the ACC is a legitimate option for the Tigers; meaning at least Tulane, but potentially USF and UTSA as well.

"I've thought a lot about this -- especially from the Memphis perspective, mostly because the University of Memphis is my alma mater, and the Memphis area is where I still make my home," Parrish wrote. "When the school was first identified as a possible Pac-12 target last week, I kept an open mind and explained to anybody who asked that there were clear reasons to go but also possible reasons to pass -- the most notable one being that there's a plausible scenario where the ACC loses some big brands in the coming years and needs replacements, at which point Memphis could emerge as a primary target and reconnect with former league foes likeLouisville, Georgia TechandVirginia Techin a conference that would be weakened, sure, but still probably superior to the Pac-12 (not to mention a better geographical fit)."

Williams reported in March that Memphis, Tulane, Wazzu, Oregon State, UConn, and USF were all part of the ACC's contingency plan. Obviously, Wazzu and Oregon State are off the table after they rebuilt the Pac-12.

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