The Memphis Grizzlies and The University of Memphis Tigers have new opponents this season. Each other.
With the NBA moving to Memphis this season, the Grizzlies and the Tigers will be competing for fans, dollars and local stardom.
Students at The U of M seem optimistic about sharing the spotlight with the Grizzlies.
“I think the NBA will help The U of M,” said Barron Bichon, a student majoring in civil engineering. “It will bring added excitement about basketball as a sport. It will help attendance at U of M games, high school kids trying out for their teams and recreational basketball.”
Karey Welles, a student majoring in psychology and sociology, agrees that the NBA may boost enthusiasm for the Tigers.
“U of M basketball is already getting big, and the Grizzlies will just make it bigger, if Memphis gets behind the Grizzlies,” Welles said.
But U of M faculty are slightly more wary of the NBA.
Athletic Director R.C. Johnson said that while the Grizzlies will probably be good for the city of Memphis, they might cause some problems for The U of M.
“In our own little world, we’d like to have nobody playing here but us, not even a ping-pong team,” Johnson said. “But we’re in a big city, so there will be other teams.”
“(The NBA) will probably decrease the number of corporate donations available for everyone, because there’s one more mouth to feed,” Johnson said. “It’ll have a negative impact on the amount of media coverage we get, too.”
Ralph Faudree, U of M provost, said that while there have been no official studies done on the NBA’s potential impact on The University, The U of M has met with representatives from other cities, such as Charlotte, N.C., and Houston, Texas, that have strong professional and collegiate athletics.
“In general, the impact on those universities was negative from a financial point of view,” Faudree said. “You’ve got increased competition, so you’ve got a drop-off in the number of tickets you’re going to sell.”
Competition for fans could be one of the fiercest contests the Grizzlies and Tigers have to face.
The Grizzlies’ schedule conflicts with the Tigers’ schedule up to 13 times this season, three times during the Tigers’ tournament games.
Some say the NBA might siphon off a part of the Tigers’ fanbase.
“I think people would rather watch the NBA because they’d want to see other major teams playing the Grizzlies,” Welles said.
But others believe the Tigers will have no problem warming the Pyramid’s seats.
“We have a million people in Memphis, and only 20,000 at a game,” Johnson said. “We’re not going to have any problem with our fanbase.”
Music education major Adam Akin agrees fans will still attend U of M games.
“College fans are alot more loyal than pro ball fans,” Akin said.
Johnson said about 16,000 people hold season tickets for The U of M basketball season. Johnson said the season tickets combined with the 2,500-3,000 seats reserved for free student tickets mean about 19,000 tickets are sold for U of M games, “without us really even having to do anything.”
Some say the team that wins more games wins a bigger audience.
“If either of the teams start losing, I’m not going to watch them, and I don’t think anyone else will either,” Akin said. “There’s no point. But I do think people are more likely to support a losing U of M team than a losing NBA team.”
“When Memphis gets something new, it’s a novelty,” Akin added. “But if the Grizzlies start losing, the people are going to want their tax dollars back.”
Many people said ticket prices may determine which team fills the Pyramid more often.
“At first, people are going to watch the Grizzlies anyway, but as time goes on, the people who consistently see the Grizzlies are going to be the ones who can afford to see them consistently,” Akin said. “And I know I certainly can’t afford that.”
Tickets for Grizzlies games for the 2001-02 season will range from $5-125 for upper and lower levels, and club and court-side seats will be even more expensive. Ticket prices for the Tigers’ 2001-02 season will not be released for several weeks, but prices for the 2000-01 season were $13 for general admission-upper level, $18 for general admission lower level and free for U of M students. Grizzlies season tickets will cost $405-1,125, while Tigers season tickets cost $205-280 last year.
Johnson said the NBA games will not affect the Tigers’ games’ prices, but “the prices will probably raise $1 or $2 for the best seats in the house because we have more games this season (than last season),” Johnson said.
Despite the NBA taking some attention away from the Tigers, most U of M students and faculty are psyched about the upcoming Tiger season.
