Not now, not ever.
That is what the City Council thinks about the idea of the Memphis basketball program leaving the Pyramid when the new arena is built.
With the encouragement of the Memphis Grizzlies, University of Memphis officials have been looking into the possible relocation to the new arena for approximately six months.
The city council’s decision has not deterred R.C. Johnson, U of M athletic director, from continuing to probe the situation.
“We still have to investigate the possibility of moving,” Johnson said. “There are those that want us to move and those that want us to stay; so I think whatever we do, we’re going to be in trouble.”
The Pyramid needs the Tigers in order to remain financially viable, according to the council members, who also said they did not want another unused venue in Memphis, such as the Coliseum.
“If The University opts to play basketball in the new arena, taxpayers are going to be left to pay off the $35 million debt that remains on the Pyramid,” council member Tom Marshall said.
If U of M president Shirley Raines decides to leave the “Tomb of Doom,” the council may try to force the Tigers to stay on the basis of a contract the team signed 11 years ago. The contract states the team must play in the Pyramid for the life of the arena.
“The City Council and the County Commission would take that contract very seriously,” Marshall said. “The only way I can see that the contract would be amended is if The University of Memphis came up with a way to pay off the debt on the Pyramid.”
The Pyramid was built for The U of M and they should live up to their end of the deal, council member E.C. Jones said.
“As the main tenant, The University of Memphis should fulfill its contract,” Jones said. “If the situation were turned around and the city tried to kick them out of the Pyramid, they would expect us to live up to the contract.”
Council Member Brent Taylor said it would be the responsibility of Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton and Shelby County Mayor A.C. Wharton to hold The University to its contract.
“The city of Memphis bent over backwards to make sure that The University of Memphis would not lose any revenue as a result of the NBA team’s coming to Memphis,” Taylor said. “The city renegotiated all the revenue streams at the Pyramid and made sure The University of Memphis would not suffer from the professional team’s being in Memphis.”
Marshall is concerned that, if the Tigers left, the Pyramid might become another white elephant, which would no longer serve a purpose.
“What happened to the Coliseum is what would happen to the Pyramid,” Marshall said.
In a statement released yesterday, Mike Golub, Grizzlies senior vice president of Business Operations, said: “We have been in talks with the University of Memphis; and at this point, we hope the talks continue.”
Head Coach John Calipari said that he views the decision as a win-win situation for his program.
“Both places would have their advantages,” Calipari said.
The ultimate decision will likely depend on the revenue the program could generate in each venue, Calipari said.
“If the school can generate more revenue in the new arena than in the Pyramid-it’s a no-brainer to move,” Calipari said.
Johnson said in the end, the decision would likely come down to money.
“I think it will boil down to money and what’s really the best deal for The University,” he said. “Once that is decided, then I’ll make my recommendation to Dr. Raines.”
Johnson said that he has concerns that the Pyramid may not be maintained after the new arena is built.
“(If we decided to stay in the Pyramid) I can see us going to the city and the county and asking for an upgrade and them saying, ‘Well, we could, but we just spent $250 million on a new arena. We don’t have any money,’” Johnson said.
If the team were relocated to the new arena, Memphis would not be the primary tenant, and that would have certain drawbacks.
“I don’t want us to move to the new arena and be considered second-class citizens,” Johnson said. “I don’t want us to feel like a guest in our own home.”
Although the revenue issue is still unclear, the advantages that each location offers are well-known.
In the Pyramid, the Tigers would have the flexibility and authority of being the main tenant and would have an arena that was their very own.
Remaining at the Pyramid would have its perks as well, Calipari said.
“We would be able to move into the Grizzlies’ old locker room, which would be the nicest in college basketball,” Calipari said. “We would also be able to be very flexible with our scheduling, which would get more of our games on TV.”
