![]() | This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience.(August 2021) |
Memphis Tigers | |||
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First season | 1912; 112 years ago | ||
Athletic director | Ed Scott | ||
Head coach | Ryan Silverfield 4th season, 22–16 (.579) | ||
Stadium | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (capacity: 58,325) | ||
Year built | 1965 | ||
Field surface | Field Turf | ||
Location | Memphis, Tennessee | ||
NCAA division | Division I FBS | ||
Conference | American Athletic Conference | ||
Past conferences | Miss. Valley (1928–1934) SIAA (1935–1942) Missouri Valley (1968–1972) C-USA (1996–2012) | ||
All-time record | 511–526–33 (.493) | ||
Bowl record | 8–8 (.500) | ||
Conference titles | 8 (1929, 1930, 1938, 1968, 1969, 1971, 2014, 2019) | ||
Division titles | 3 (2017, 2018, 2019) | ||
Rivalries | Arkansas State (rivalry) Cincinnati (rivalry) Louisville (rivalry) Ole Miss (rivalry) Southern Miss (rivalry) UAB (rivalry) | ||
Colors | Blue and gray [1] | ||
Fight song | Go Tigers Go | ||
Mascot | Pouncer | ||
Marching band | Mighty Sound of the South | ||
Website | gotigersgo.com |
The Memphis Tigers football team represents the University of Memphis in college football in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The Tigers play in the American Athletic Conference as an all-sports member. [2] They play home games at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. The team's head coach is Ryan Silverfield. [3] Since their inaugural season in 1912, the Memphis Tigers have won over 500 games and appeared in seventeen bowl games.
For much of its history, the Memphis Tigers football program was subpar and uninspiring with occasional flashes of moderate success while being overshadowed by the university's more successful men's basketball program. [4] However, in recent years the Tigers football program has shown a marked improvement and has been more successful since the tenure of former head coach Justin Fuente. [5] [6] As of May 2024, Memphis has earned bowl eligibility by winning at least six of 12 regular season games every year beginning in 2014 and, consequently, has been invited to a bowl game every year without interruption since 2014, [7] [8] they are one of just nine NCAA Division I FBS teams in the country with that distinction. [9] Ten of the program's seventeen bowl appearances have come in that time span. The program has also claimed eight conference championships with the most recent coming in 2019.
[ citation needed ]
Year | Conference | Coach | Record | Conference Record |
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1929 | Mississippi Valley Conference | Zach Curlin | 8–0–2 | n/a |
1930 | 6–3–1 | n/a | ||
1938 | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Allyn McKeen | 10–0 | 7–0 |
1968 | Missouri Valley Conference | Billy J. Murphy | 6–4 | 4–0 |
1969 | 8–2 | 4–0 | ||
1971 | 5–6 | 2–1 | ||
2014† | American Athletic Conference | Justin Fuente | 10–3 | 7–1 |
2019 | Mike Norvell | 12–1 | 7–1 |
† Co-champions
Season | Division | Coach | Opponent | CG result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | AAC West | Mike Norvell | UCF | L 55–622OT |
2018 † | UCF | L 41–56 | ||
2019 † | Cincinnati | W 29–24 |
† Co-champions
The Memphis Tigers have received seventeen bowl invitations in their history and hold a record of 8–8 in bowl games with one cancellation. This includes the 1956 Burley Bowl, which was not an NCAA sanctioned bowl. [10] Memphis went through a 32-year bowl game drought from 1971 to 2003, but has since had a five-year bowl streak (2003–2008) and the current ten-year streak (since 2014). The team made its first appearance in a New Years Six bowl when they were selected to play in the 2019 Cotton Bowl Classic as the highest ranked (AP #15) Group of Five conference champion. The Tigers’ 2023 Liberty Bowl victory was the school's first over a Power 5 opponent.
Season | Head Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
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1956 | Ralph Hatley | Burley Bowl | East Tennessee State | W 32–12 |
1971 | Billy J. Murphy | Pasadena Bowl | San Jose State | W 28–9 |
2003 | Tommy West | New Orleans Bowl | North Texas | W 27–17 |
2004 | GMAC Bowl | Bowling Green | L 35–52 | |
2005 | Motor City Bowl | Akron | W 38–31 | |
2007 | New Orleans Bowl | Florida Atlantic | L 27–44 | |
2008 | St. Petersburg Bowl | South Florida | L 14–41 | |
2014 | Justin Fuente | Miami Beach Bowl | BYU | W 55–48 |
2015 | Darrell Dickey (interim) | Birmingham Bowl | Auburn | L 10–31 |
2016 | Mike Norvell | Boca Raton Bowl | Western Kentucky | L 31–51 |
2017 | Liberty Bowl | Iowa State | L 20–21 | |
2018 | Birmingham Bowl | Wake Forest | L 34–37 | |
2019 | Ryan Silverfield | Cotton Bowl Classic | Penn State | L 39–53 |
2020 | Montgomery Bowl | Florida Atlantic | W 25–10 | |
2021 | Hawaii Bowl | Hawaii | Canceled | |
2022 | First Responder Bowl | Utah State | W 38–10 | |
2023 | Liberty Bowl | Iowa State | W 36–26 |
Coach | Tenure | Seasons | Record | Pct. |
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Clyde H. Wilson | 1912–1915 | 4 | 9–12–1 | .432 |
Tom Shea | 1916 | 1 | 2–3–1 | .417 |
V. M. Campbell | 1917, 1919 | 2 | 6–6 | .500 |
John Childerson | 1918 | 1 | 2–4 | .333 |
Elmore George | 1920 | 1 | 0–5 | .000 |
Rollin Wilson | 1921 | 1 | 4–5–1 | .450 |
Lester Barnard | 1922–1923 | 2 | 11–5–3 | .658 |
Zach Curlin | 1924–1936 | 13 | 43–60–14 | .427 |
Allyn McKeen | 1937–1938 | 2 | 13–6 | .684 |
Cecil C. Humphreys | 1939–1941 | 3 | 14–15 | .483 |
Charlie Jamerson | 1942 | 1 | 2–7 | .222 |
Ralph Hatley | 1947–1957 | 11 | 59–43–5 | .575 |
Billy J. Murphy | 1958–1971 | 14 | 91–44–1 | .673 |
Fred Pancoast | 1972–1974 | 3 | 20–12–1 | .621 |
Richard Williamson | 1975–1980 | 6 | 31–35 | .470 |
Rex Dockery | 1981–1983 | 3 | 8–24–1 | .258 |
Rey Dempsey | 1984–1985 | 2 | 7–12–3 | .386 |
Charlie Bailey | 1986–1988 | 3 | 12–20–1 | .379 |
Chuck Stobart | 1989–1994 | 6 | 29–36–1 | .447 |
Rip Scherer | 1995–2000 | 6 | 22–44 | .333 |
Tommy West | 2001–2009 | 9 | 49–61 | .445 |
Larry Porter | 2010–2011 | 2 | 3–21 | .125 |
Justin Fuente | 2012–2015 | 4 | 26–24 | .520 |
Mike Norvell | 2016–2019 | 4 | 38–15 | .717 |
Ryan Silverfield | 2019–present | 4 | 21–16 | .568 |
The series with bordering-state rival Arkansas State dates to 1914. Memphis leads 31–24–5 with the last game played on September 17, 2022. [12]
The series with Cincinnati dates to 1966. Memphis leads 23–14 with the last game played in 2020. [13]
The hatred between these two teams runs strong between the Cardinals and Tigers. [14] [15] The Tigers' rivalry with bordering-state opponent Louisville dates back to 1948. [16] [17] Louisville leads 24–19 with the last game played in 2013. [18] Both teams were at once in the American Athletic Conference Football for 1 year until Louisville joined the Atlantic Coastal Conference in 2014. [19] [20] Both teams are better known for their rivalry on the basketball court then on the football field, [21] but both schools share the same hatred between each other in any sport including football.
The Tigers' football rivalry with regional and bordering-state opponent Ole Miss dates to 1921. [17] [22] Ole Miss leads 47–12–2 through the 2019 season. [23] Ole Miss is Memphis' oldest football rivalry and is tied with Southern Miss as Memphis' most-played football opponent all-time while Memphis is Ole Miss' most-played football opponent who has never been a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). [24] [25]
The Memphis Tigers' football rivalry with bordering-state opponent Southern Miss is officially named the Black and Blue Bowl and dates back to 1935. [26] Southern Miss is tied with Ole Miss as Memphis' most-played football opponent all-time. [27] Southern Miss leads the all-time series 40–22–1 with the last game played in 2012. [28] The annual series between the Tigers and Golden Eagles ended after Memphis joined the American Athletic Conference in 2013. [29] [30] The rivalry will be renewed in 2027 and 2030 as a nonconference game after more than a decade of dormancy. [31]
Memphis and bordering-state opponent UAB annually play a football rivalry game called “The Battle of the Bones” where the winning team receives a 100 lb bronze statue of a rack of ribs. [32] This pays homage to both school's cities prominence in BBQ. [33] The rivalry temporarily ended when Memphis moved to the American Athletic Conference after the 2012 season. [34] UAB leads the all-time series 10–5, but Memphis won the last matchup which allowed the Tigers to keep the Bones Trophy. [35] The rivalry was rekindled in 2023 when UAB joined Memphis in the American Athletic Conference. [36]
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, originally Memphis Memorial Stadium is the site of the annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl, and is the home of the Memphis Tigers football team. It has also been the host of several attempts at professional sports in the city, as well as other local football games and other gatherings. The stadium was originally built as Memphis Memorial Stadium in 1965 for $3 million, as a part of the Mid-South Fairgrounds, then home to one of the South's most popular fairs, but now conducted in neighboring Desoto County, Mississippi. The fairgrounds also included the now-defunct Mid-South Coliseum (formerly the city's major indoor venue) as well as the now-closed Libertyland amusement park, which has been demolished and replaced with a disc golf course. It was dedicated as a memorial to the citizens of Memphis who had served in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. The facility was built partially as a way to bring the Liberty Bowl to a permanent home in Memphis (the game had started in Philadelphia, but because of poor attendance as a northern bowl, it left the city, playing one year in Atlantic City before settling in Memphis). The game was such a success for Memphis that the stadium was renamed Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in 1976. As originally built, the stadium was lopsided, with the southwest side being taller than the northeast side. A 1987 expansion brought it to its current, balanced configuration, although with a much greater hospitality building topping the northeast section. [37] Its design is similar to that of old Tampa Stadium ("The Big Sombrero"), with the endzone grandstands being much shorter than the sidelines. The field, which had been natural grass since its inception, was replaced with a FieldTurf surface before the 2005 season; this was subsequently replaced with the modern version of AstroTurf. The stadium is designed in such a way that all of its seats have a relatively good view of most of the playing surface. This is due primarily to two design factors. The stands are relatively steep for a one-tier, true bowl stadium. Also, there is little space between the side and end lines of the playing surface and the stands. In December 1983, the playing field was renamed Rex Dockery Field in honor of Rex Dockery, a former Memphis Tigers football coach who died in a plane crash.
About two and a half hours prior to kickoff at home games, Tiger fans line up outside Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium for the "Tiger Walk". [38] The tradition involves the Mighty Sound of the South marching band, thousands of fans and the University of Memphis cheer and pom-pom squads. [38] The coaching staff and team arrive at the stadium and walk into the stadium tunnel with the fans and cheerleaders cheering them on to victory. [38] After the team has passed by, the Tiger cheerleaders lead the fans in the "Tiger Spellout", "T-I-G-E-R-S." [38]
"Tiger Lane" refers to the pre-game tailgating spots for Memphis Tigers football fans. [38] It is equipped with electrical hookups at each spot, trees, grassy areas and all pre-game tailgating activities. [38] Tiger Lane stretches all the way from the parking lot of Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium to East Parkway in mid-town Memphis. [38]
The University of Memphis' official school colors of Blue and Gray were selected in the early 1900s. The colors were chosen in an effort to show unity in a nation that was still recovering from the effects of the Civil War. The student body thought that by picking the colors of the North and the South, the school would show a togetherness among all students. [39]
Memphis has retired numbers for seven players in their history. Of the seven, Greenhill's is the only one honored posthumously, due to his death in a plane crash that also took the life of head coach Rex Dockery. [40] [41]
No. | Player | Position | Tenure | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
8 | Charles Greenhill | DB | 1983 | [42] |
20 | DeAngelo Williams | RB | 2002–2005 | [42] |
30 | Dave Casinelli | RB | 1960–1963 | [42] |
59 | Danton Barto | LB | 1990–1993 | [42] [43] |
64 | John Bramlett | LB | 1959–1962 | [42] |
79 | Harry Schuh | OL | 1962–1964 | [42] |
83 | Isaac Bruce | WR | 1992–1993 | [42] |
National Coach of the Year
College Football All-America Team selections
Consensus All-Americans listed in bold
American Athletic Conference Awards
Announced schedules as of November 3, 2023. [48]
2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 |
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Bethune-Cookman | North Alabama | at Georgia State | Arkansas State | at Arkansas State | Arkansas State | at Arkansas State | Boise State | at Boise State |
at Arkansas State | Troy | at Troy | at Arkansas | Southern Miss | at Arkansas | at Mississippi State | at Southern Miss | |
Missouri (in St. Louis) | at Florida State | Arkansas | at Boise State | at Middle Tennessee | Mississippi State | |||
Boise State | Middle Tennessee State | Chattanooga | UT Martin |
The Memphis Tigers are the athletic teams that represent the University of Memphis, located in Memphis, Tennessee. The teams compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the American Athletic Conference, except for the rifle team, which is a member of the single-sport Great America Rifle Conference.
The Auburn Tigers football program represents Auburn University in the sport of American college football. Auburn competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
The LSU Tigers football program, also known as the Fighting Tigers, represents Louisiana State University in college football. The Tigers compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
The Florida Atlantic Owls football program represents Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in the sport of American football. The Owls compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the American Athletic Conference (American/AAC). The Owls' head coach is Tom Herman. The Owls play their home games at FAU Stadium which has a seating capacity of 29,419.
The UAB Blazers football team represents the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in the sport of American football. The Blazers compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and American Athletic Conference. The team is led by head coach Trent Dilfer, who was named the program’s 7th head coach on November 30, 2022. Home games were previously held at Legion Field in Birmingham from the 1991 season to the 2020 season. A new stadium, Protective Stadium, has been the home of the Blazers starting from the 2021 season. The new stadium's capacity is over 47,000.
The UAB Blazers are the varsity intercollegiate athletic programs that represent the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The school is one of the fourteen member institutions of the American Athletic Conference and participates in Division I of the NCAA. The school's men's basketball team plays in 8,508-seat Bartow Arena. The Blazers' colors are green and gold. The men's basketball program has a long history of success spanning several decades.
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program represents the University of Arkansas in the sport of American football. The Razorbacks compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Home games are played at stadiums on or near the two largest campuses of the University of Arkansas System: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Sam Pittman is the head coach and has served since 2020.
The Missouri Tigers football program represents the University of Missouri in college football and competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles football program represents the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. They play college football in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The Eagles are currently members of the Sun Belt Conference and play their home games at M. M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
The Tulane Green Wave football team represents Tulane University in the sport of American football. The Green Wave compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the American Athletic Conference. The football team is coached by Jon Sumrall, and plays its home games in Yulman Stadium on its campus in Uptown New Orleans.
The Ole Miss Rebels football program represents the University of Mississippi, also known as "Ole Miss". The Rebels compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Rebels play their home games at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium on the university's campus in Oxford, Mississippi.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the sport of American football. The Bulldogs compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They also have won one SEC championship in 1941 and a division championship in 1998. The Bulldogs have 26 postseason bowl appearances. The program has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124 NFL players. The Bulldogs’ home stadium, Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field, is the second oldest in the NCAA Division I FBS.
The Arkansas–Ole Miss football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Arkansas Razorbacks football team of the University of Arkansas and the Ole Miss Rebels football team of the University of Mississippi. The teams first met in 1908, and have played each other every year since 1981. Arkansas leads the series, which includes two wins by Ole Miss in postseason bowl games, the 1963 and 1970 Sugar Bowls.
The Magnolia Bowl is the name given to the LSU–Ole Miss football rivalry. It is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the LSU Tigers football team of Louisiana State University (LSU) and the Ole Miss Rebels football team of the University of Mississippi. The teams compete for the Magnolia Bowl Trophy. The Tigers and the Rebels first met in 1894, and have been regular opponents in Southeastern Conference (SEC), meeting annually, without interruption, since 1945.
The Battle for the Bones is a sports rivalry between the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers and the University of Memphis Tigers. The two NCAA Division I schools compete in various sports, with men's basketball and college football in particular being prominent.
The 2008 Memphis Tigers football team represented the University of Memphis in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Memphis competed as a member of the Conference USA. The team was led by head coach Tommy West. The Tigers played their home games at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The Tigers finished the regular season with a 6–6 record, which was enough to attain bowl eligibility. Memphis accepted a bid to play against South Florida in the inaugural St. Petersburg Bowl in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Tigers lost, 41–14.
Michael Kelly Norvell is an American college football coach who is currently the head coach at Florida State. He has coached at Memphis, Arizona State, Pittsburgh, Tulsa, and Central Arkansas. He played wide receiver at the University of Central Arkansas from 2001 to 2005 and is the school's all-time receptions leader.
The Memphis–Ole Miss football rivalry, also known as the Mid–South Rivalry, is an American college football rivalry game between the Tigers of the University of Memphis and the Rebels of the University of Mississippi. The series began in 1921. Ole Miss leads 47–12–2 through the 2019 season.
The Auburn–Ole Miss football rivalry is a college football rivalry game between the Tigers of Auburn University and the Rebels of the University of Mississippi.
This page documents the history of the Memphis Tigers football program.