Amid Memphis' failed $200 million pursuit to join Big 12, AAC commish Tim Pernetti admits being a target of conference realignment

Conference realignment has been a growing topic in the college football world. With the Pac-12 making moves to rebuild its conference before the 2026 season, other teams have also been looking to move into more competitive leagues. One of the most notable examples was Memphis joining the Big 12. The team put together a $200 million bid to jump from the AAC to the Big 12.

However, according to a report from USA Today, the Big 12 rejected the Tigers' bid to join the conference. This was reportedly the third time in the past decade that the Big 12 has rejected Memphis' request to join the conference and the Power Four.

Following the news about Memphis' attempt to join the Big 12, American Athletic Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti spoke on Friday about it. He first acknowledged that he was aware of the conversations.

"I was very aware of the conversations," Pernetti said. "I understand Memphis' ambition."

When referring to Memphis's ambition, he is hinting at the Tigers' desire to leave the AAC for a Power Four conference. That has been a goal of the school since athletic director Ed Scott took over in June 2024. He is slated to earn a $250,000 bonus if he gets the Tigers into a Power Four. Scott has acknowledged that the two most realistic possibilities are the Big 12 and ACC.

On the topic of conference realignment, Pernetti spoke on Friday about how he is not surprised that the AAC is a consistent target.

Failed Memphis move to join the Big 12: Conference realignment has significantly impacted the AAC in recent years

While Memphis failed to join the Big 12, the AAC has still been severely impacted by conference realignment in recent years. In fact, the Big 12 has added several members from the American Athletic Conference in recent years, including UCF, Cincinnati and Houston. Those three teams left the AAC following the 2022 season.

After the news that Memphis had another failed proposal to join the Big 12, it could cause the Tigers to shift their focus. They could move to join the ACC rather than the Big 12. Alternatively, the Tigers could take a more creative approach and try to join the Pac-12.

The Pac-12 was significantly impacted by conference realignment ahead of last season, with all but two teams leaving the league. As a result, it is trying to rebuild and has eight football teams set to compete starting in the 2026 season. While that is the minimum amount, there is still plenty of room for further expansion.

It is worth noting that Gonzaga is the seventh team joining the Pac-12 but as a non-football program.

About the author

Alexander O'Reilly is a journalist at Sportskeeda from Kingston, Ontario with over seven years in the field at companies including SenShot, RVBlogger, Monarch Media, WordAgents, GSeC LLC, and IGC.

His favorite college team is Duke, and his favorite sporting memory was Duke winning March Madness in 2010. JJ Redick was Alex's favorite college player when he was young but more recently, Caleb Williams gets the nod. As the Chicago Bears are Alex's favorite NFL team, this was a perfect match.

Alex's proudest moment came when he was interviewed by a radio station in Ottawa on his opinion on recent moves by the Ottawa Senators, which gave him a confidence boost and the knowledge that he could succeed as a writer.

Aside from sports, Alex likes to spend his time playing games. He is also very passionate about running and strives to improve at the half and full marathon distances.

Know More

Edited by Alexander O'Reilly