John Lawrence

[Hayden @the_transit_guy]

The Atlanta BeltLine has been one of the most successful urban transformations in modern U.S. history.

[Frank Bonner ll @Frank_Bonner2]

Memphis coach Charles Huff was named the Bear Bryant National Coach of the Week after the Tigers' 27-21 win at UNLV.

[John Lawrence @JohnTLawrence3]

@ShawnCMemphis @ChrisVernonShow @Scarlet_Tartan Just skip the pregame hype video and show this.

[Memphis-Shelby Co. Schools @MSCSK12]

While schools remain closed today, MSCS is encouraged by progress in restoring power. More than 40,000 MLGW customers remain without power.

Teams continue assessing HVAC, critical systems and school readiness. Updates will follow later today.

[Shawn Cochran @ShawnCMemphis]

#GTG

[MLGW @MLGW]

August is National Water Quality Month!

In Memphis and Shelby County, clean water is one of our most valuable natural resources. At #MLGW, protecting the quality of our water is a year-round commitment. Our Water Laboratory conducts testing throughout the year to help ensure the water delivered to our customers is of the highest quality.

Learn more about Memphis water and view MLGW's 2025 Water Quality Report at https://t.co/6irvLALWLC.

[Tennessee Valley Authority @TVAnews]

Did you know? On June 1, 1938, we began initial service in Memphis, TN! This marked a milestone in our region’s rich history. By 1939, we had acquired and started operating over 63 miles of transmission lines and substation capacity at the North and South Memphis Substations!
#TBT

[Derek Jett @DerekJett84]

Memphis' Pursuit of Big 12 Membership: A Decade of Strategic Investment
2016 – Big 12 Expansion Study
In 2016, the Big 12 formally launched an expansion evaluation following media rights discussions and publicly identified a group of institutions under serious consideration:
•Memphis
•Cincinnati
•BYU
•Houston
•UCF
•Boise State
•Colorado State
•Connecticut
Memphis assembled one of the most comprehensive expansion campaigns in college athletics. Led by FedEx founder Fred Smith, the university showcased Memphis' nationally recognized basketball brand, emerging football success, FedEx's global headquarters, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the Memphis media market, and the city's long-term strategic value to the conference.
Many individuals familiar with the process believed Memphis had positioned itself among the leading candidates. University officials have stated they received encouraging feedback throughout the evaluation, including advice to continue strengthening the institution and maintaining NCAA compliance as discussions progressed.
Ultimately, however, the Big 12 voted not to expand. At the time, multiple reports indicated ESPN proposed distributing expansion-related television revenue among existing conference members rather than supporting expansion, significantly reducing the financial incentive to add new institutions. After months of public evaluation, the conference elected to remain at ten members.

2021 – The Largest Realignment in Modern College Athletics
The landscape changed dramatically when Texas and Oklahoma announced their departure for the SEC, forcing the Big 12 to replace two of its flagship members.
Many believed this represented Memphis' best opportunity yet to join a Power Conference.
Individuals involved in and familiar with the process have said Memphis was viewed as a serious candidate throughout the evaluation. According to those accounts, Houston ultimately benefited from significant support within the state of Texas, where influential stakeholders and political leaders strongly advocated for maintaining another major Texas institution within the conference. Many observers believe those dynamics ultimately helped Houston secure one of the available positions, leaving Memphis as the final institution outside the expansion group.
The Big 12 ultimately invited:
•BYU
•Cincinnati
•Houston
•UCF
Despite its national basketball brand, improving football program, strong corporate support, and growing institutional profile, Memphis was once again left outside the Power Conference structure.

2022–2023 – Big 12 Expansion Evolves into a Power Four Reset
Following the collapse of the Pac-12, the Big 12 shifted its strategy from expanding into new markets to strengthening itself with established Power Five institutions.
The conference added:
•Colorado
•Arizona
•Arizona State
•Utah
This represented less of a traditional expansion process and more of a consolidation among existing Power Conference members. As a result, Memphis was again bypassed as the conference prioritized institutions already competing at the Power Four level.

2021–2025 – Memphis Responds with Historic Institutional Investment
Rather than retreat following multiple expansion cycles, Memphis made one of the largest long-term institutional investments in college athletics.
Facilities
•$226.5 million Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium renovation
•Approximately $550 million planned FedExForum modernization
•Nearly $777 million in combined investment across Memphis' flagship football and basketball venues
Combined Football & Basketball Venue Investment
RankUniversityCombined Investment
1Northwestern~$850 million
2Memphis~$776.5 million
3Tennessee~$400–500 million
4Texas A&M~$500 million (primarily football)
Few universities—and even fewer outside the Power Four—have committed to transforming both of their premier athletic venues simultaneously on this scale.
Academic Growth
Memphis also strengthened its academic profile by earning Carnegie R1 Research University designation in 2021, placing the university among the nation's highest tier of research institutions and addressing one of the historical distinctions often cited between Memphis and many Power Conference universities.
NIL & Institutional Commitment
The university's momentum continued with significant investments in student-athlete support and long-term competitiveness, including:
•FedEx's landmark five-year, $25 million NIL partnership, one of the largest corporate NIL commitments in college athletics.
•Increased donor engagement and philanthropic support.
•Continued investment across athletic facilities and operations.
•A sustained institutional commitment by university leadership to position Memphis for future Power Four membership.

2025 – Memphis Presents an Unprecedented Expansion Proposal
In 2025, Memphis submitted what many consider one of the most innovative conference expansion proposals ever assembled.
The university reportedly presented a package valued between $200 million and $250 million, designed to minimize the financial impact of expansion on existing Big 12 members.
The proposal included:
•Corporate sponsorship commitments.
•Major donor financial support.
•Creative revenue-sharing solutions intended to offset conference expansion costs.
President Bill Hardgrave spent more than a year meeting individually with Big 12 presidents and athletic directors, presenting Memphis' long-term institutional vision and financial proposal.
Ultimately, the Big 12 again chose not to expand.
Many observers viewed the decision less as a rejection of Memphis than as a reflection of the conference's broader strategic position. Having recently completed its expansion with former Pac-12 institutions and with the next round of major television contract negotiations—including the Big Ten's agreement beginning in 2030—still years away, conference leadership appeared focused on stabilizing its membership rather than reopening expansion discussions.
The Bottom Line
Over the past decade, Memphis has consistently responded to each missed opportunity by becoming a stronger institutional candidate.
The university has:
•Achieved Carnegie R1 research status.
•Invested nearly $777 million in its premier athletic venues.
•Secured one of the largest corporate NIL partnerships in college athletics.
•Continued significant donor and institutional investment.
•Developed one of the nation's most comprehensive conference expansion proposals.
•Maintained national relevance in both football and basketball.
Rather than waiting for opportunity, Memphis has systematically invested in the areas conferences increasingly value: academics, facilities, financial commitment, corporate partnerships, media market strength, and long-term institutional stability. Should another period of conference expansion occur, Memphis enters that conversation with one of the strongest overall institutional portfolios outside the current Power Four.

[GenTXer2 @GenTXer2]

Lesser known 80s album that you love:

TNT: Intuition (1989)

(recommended by @Woggers463707)

[MLGW @MLGW]

Community Challenge! Think about your favorite Memphis business. Now tag them in the comments and show them some love!

Economic development isn't accomplished by one organization alone. It takes businesses, community leaders, utilities, schools and residents all working together toward a common goal.

When businesses succeed, neighborhoods grow stronger and opportunities expand for everyone.

Let's celebrate the businesses that make our community great.

Let's work together to create opportunities and strengthen our community.

901-528-4228
[email protected]

#EconomicDevelopmentTuesday #MLGW

[Jim Strickland @JStrick901]

We are proud that Memphis Law graduate Celeste Embrey Wilson, Class of 2001, was just appointed to the Mississippi Supreme Court.

Congratulations Justice Wilson!

[Memphis Zoo @MemphisZoo]

A bold new chapter begins today.

Thanks to a historic $50 million challenge gift from Diane Smith and the Smith family, the future of the Memphis Zoo is taking shape. This challenge is more than a gift. It's an invitation for our entire community to help create a world-class home for wildlife through enhanced animal care, conservation, immersive habitats, and unforgettable guest experiences.

Now it's your turn to help bring this vision to life. Join the challenge and make your gift today: https://t.co/0UfkYPDuYs

To learn more about the Smith Family Challenge to Memphis Zoo, read the full story from Daily Memphian here: https://t.co/ZOP9SCHo0E

#memphiszoo #Memphis #animals

[MLGW @MLGW]

A new job means more than a paycheck.

It can mean a family's first home, a student's college tuition, a new car or a small business gaining another customer.

That's why job creation matters.

Economic development is about creating opportunities that improve lives and strengthen our community for generations to come.

Comment below: What industry do you think will have the biggest impact on Memphis in the next 10 years?

Looking to grow your business in Memphis and Shelby County? We're here to help.

901-528-4228
[email protected]
#EconomicDevelopmentTuesday #MLGW

[Don Johnson @htmldon]

Knicks using a NYC subway map to represent a basketball net- what an outstanding design!

[derek guy @dieworkwear]

gary, let's wear high rise pants and walk around the neighborhood together ☎️

[Melissa & Chris Bruntlett @modacitylife]

We’ve been told repeatedly that Romanians have a cultural aversion to cycling. Maybe not. What they seem to have is a cultural aversion to dying.

When safe, protected infrastructure appears, so do myriad people on bikes.

[MLGW @MLGW]

When operations are critical, reliability is everything. From hospitals to specialized care facilities, healthcare depends on uninterrupted service. #MLGW provides the reliable utilities healthcare providers need to focus on what matters most delivering quality care to the community. Because in healthcare, every second counts.

Proud to support the systems that support our community.

901-528-4228 | [email protected]
#EconomicTuesday

[Chris Vickery @cvic13]

Good Morning. Listening to #MartyandMcGee @MartySmithESPN @ESPNMcGee my timelapse view going through the Lower Memphis Bridges and drone shot video

[Alex Armlovich @aarmlovi]

A significant amount of the charm embodied in the 5000 years of urbanism before WWII exists in the urban form, not the materials

We can recover the urban form even when we have to use modern materials

[Steve Futterman @sfutterman]

CBS RADIO'S FINALE - 1927-2026 - The final CBS News Radio broadcast. This was the 11.31pm eastern time broadcast. The anchor is Christopher Cruise. From the Broadcast Center on West 57th. It was a pretty good 99 year run. @CBSNews @CBSRadio