MEMPHIS — Back in September, Tigers Athletic Director Dr. Ed Scott, just months on the job, announced that the U of M had turned down a bid to the new look Pac-12, calling it a bad deal. But Scott also said he wasn’t closing the book on the Pac-12.

Fast forward to this week when ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Pac-12 officials have discussed adding the Tigers as a football-only member, adding that Memphis’ other sports might be better served in a league like the Big East.

So guess what Scott was asked about Friday when discussing the stadium renovations out at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium?

You guessed it… the Pac-12. And guess what?

Nothing’s really changed and can’t really change until the Pac-12 gets its tv deal done. Remember, especially these days in college athletics, it’s all about the cash and the AAC paid the Tigers about 11 million dollars in the 2023-24 season.

“I told you before, and I’ll tell you again. When we get an offer, I will stand up in front of you and be accountable for whatever decision I make as the athletic director in conjunction with the president and the Board of Trustees. But until we get an offer, there’s nothing for me to talk about,” Scott said. “I checked my email knowing I was going to get that question today just before I left, and I did not see any breaking news on the ticker that the Pac-12 announced the media deal. So for me, my position hasn’t changed. I have conversations with those folks all the time, but nothing substantive in regard to realignment or no money figures at this point and from my position, there can be no conversation about that until the Pac-12 figures out what they’re doing and we know what their media deal looks like because I’m not going to take a bad deal. I think I made that painfully obvious.”

With all the new money available for athletics, Scott also said the Tigers revenue sharing will be competitive with the power four, saying the Tigers were right there with programs like Kansas in men’s basketball.  Kansas Athletic Director Travis Goff has reportedly said he expects to spend between 4 and a half and five and a half million on the Jayhawks.

“If Kansas’ numbers are right in men’s basketball and that’s an accurate number, we’re very competitive with Kansas in men’s basketball. So for all those who think we’re not competing in men’s basketball, I’m here to set that record straight and we have more money in football than we have in basketball. I told you when I took this job, we were going to opt in and we were going to compete at the highest level. My job has been to continue to move us at the front of the group of six, if you will, and make sure we can compete with the power fore. And I can say with my team in here confidently, we’ve been able to.”