This week, the University of Memphis became the latest school to make waves in the world of conference realignment. The Tigers’ athletics program made history by offering $200 million, along with many other notable stipulations, to the Big 12 in return for an invitation to the Power Four conference.
The Big 12 wasn’t having it, though, rejecting the school. That same day, though, the news got even weirder with the news that the conference formerly known as the American Athletic Conference would be rebranding.
Why Did Memphis Tigers Get Roasted for Their “Proud” American Conference Post?
In today’s college sports chaos, the American Athletic Conference just tried to take control of its story with a complete rebrand. After more than a decade as the “AAC,” the conference officially dropped the acronym and will now be known simply as The American.
The rebrand includes a fresh look and a new mascot named Soar. The conference’s new tagline is “Built to Rise.” The effort is to sharpen the conference’s identity in a college landscape where conference names carry weight. Despite the makeover, not everyone is celebrating.
Right after the rebrand launched, the Memphis Tigers, like the rest of the rebranded conference members, decided to jump on X and celebrate the change. The school’s official X account posted a graphic with the caption, “Proud member of the American Conference. #GoTigersGo.” The internet had other ideas.
Proud member of the American Conference #GoTigersGo | @American_Conf pic.twitter.com/rMHJt3476G
— Memphis Tigers (@TigersAthletics) July 21, 2025
The backlash started fast. One user fired back, “No, you’re not. If you have that kind of money to throw around, you should have no problem going to the Big East for basketball and the PAC for football. That’s a way better option than staying in ‘the American’. Especially after adding that ridiculous mascot.”
The comment hit hard because it referenced something Memphis probably wished would stay quiet. As Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reported, Memphis had recently been caught trying to buy its way into the Big 12 with one of the most aggressive proposals in college athletics history.
That proposal included up to $200 million in sponsorships from Memphis-linked companies like FedEx, AutoZone, and others. The Tigers even offered to give up revenue sharing for five years. The whole point was simple: get out of The American and into a power conference. Obviously, that doesn’t exactly scream “proud” about your current situation.
The social media pile-on continued. A fan jokingly wrote, “Memphis, blink twice if you are in trouble,” comically suggesting the school is being held hostage.
Should the Big 12 add Memphis? pic.twitter.com/uEK6qRFptj
— The Ruffino & Joe Show (@Ruffinonjoeshow) July 22, 2025
Another person wrote, “I’ll take things I don’t mean for $1000.” Hard to argue with that logic, especially when you know Memphis has been courting the Big 12 for over a year. They even sent their president on multiple in-person visits to try and charm conference officials.
What Made the Big 12 Rejection So Brutal for Memphis?
The criticism kept coming. Another user pointed out, “Kind of disingenuous since you were just flirting around with the Big 12 as a sort of side piece.” The Big 12 had actually taken a serious look at Memphis back in 2021, decided to pass, and then passed again despite this latest “no-risk” financial offer.
Maybe the most brutal comment came from another fan who wrote, “Proud?? Bruh, you got Coldplay’d by the Big 12 a few hours ago,” referring to the viral moment from a recent concert where a company CEO was caught having an affair on camera.
EDITOR’S PICK: Memphis’ Bold $200M Big 12 Entry Attempt Seemingly Dashed by Existing Members
The reality check came through loud and clear in reports from Brett McMurphy of On3 Sports, who wrote, “Big 12 ‘not interested’ in adding Memphis despite school offering $250 million in sponsorship to the league, sources told@On3sports.” That hits different when you’re trying to convince people you’re happy where you are.
The mocking reached peak levels when another user wrote, “‘We were just kidding! Couldn’t be more proud to be in the American Conference!!!'(Memphis to the AAC after the Big 12 rejected their $200M+ offer earlier today).”
Big 12 “not interested” in adding Memphis despite school offering $250 million in sponsorship to the league, sources told @On3sports. Memphis was trying to buy way into Big 12. Yahoo 1st reported Memphis trying to get Big 12 invite
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 21, 2025
To be fair, The American Conference’s rebrand was about survival. The conference has been hit hard by major departures: Houston, UCF, and Cincinnati all left for the Big 12 in recent seasons, while SMU headed to the ACC. Something had to change.
Adding a mascot like Soar and rolling out slogans like “Built to Rise” represents a strategy to get fans excited again. But as Memphis discovered the hard way, timing matters in college sports.
When you post about being “proud” just hours after getting rejected by your dream conference, people notice. And they’re not going to let it slide.
