A Thanksgiving tournament in Las Vegas could replace the University of Memphis basketball game that came up snake eyes this season for the Tennessee Vols.
The annual series with Memphis won't be renewed this year, breaking a run that began in the 1988-89 season. UT athletics director Doug Dickey and coach Buzz Peterson both said Wednesday they expect it to be renewed in 2004-05 and played two out of every four years, as per the schools' football arrangement.
Meanwhile, the Vols and the rest of the college basketball world are waiting on a federal judge in Columbus, Ohio, to rule on a lawsuit that will determine the future of "exempt" events.
"The judge promised it won't go past Friday," said Chris Spencer, who conducts several in-season tournaments through his Cincinnati-based Worldwide Basketball.
Many college teams, including Tennessee, won't finalize their schedules until after the decision.
The NCAA enacted a rule, effective this season, limiting schools to two exempt events in a four-year period. The lawsuit, filed by operators of exempt events, seeks, basically, to allow schools to continue to play in exempt events every year.
Exempt events count as only one game toward the 28-game limit, even though the team might play as many as four games during the event.
The Vols played in the Puerto Rico Classic in 1999-2000, the Rainbow Classic two years ago and the Great Alaska Shootout last season. If the NCAA ruling stands, they would have to wait two years to play in another exempt event.
However, if the judge rules in favor of the lawsuit, the Vols are probably headed to the Las Vegas Invitational.
Worldwide Basketball staged three Las Vegas tournaments last year and has three scheduled for this season - - provided it gets a favorable ruling.
"Without the judge getting rid of the 2-in-4 rule, to be blunt, it will be very difficult for us to even have one tournament," said Spencer.
"There were 25 certified (exempt) events last year. Only six right now can move on with a full field."
The Las Vegas Invitational is a four-games-for-one deal, Spencer said. The Vols would play one game at home, then go to Las Vegas and play three more. Spencer said other teams interested in the event include Cincinnati, Iowa State, Creighton, Illinois-Chicago and Northern Arizona.
"We want Tennessee in there and they want to be there," Spencer said. "We have a spot for them."
If the NCAA wins the ruling, the Vols will seek another opponent for a home game, probably in February, to complete the 2002-03 schedule.
Peterson said New Mexico has finalized a home-and-home pact to begin here this year in late December. Louisville will also visit (Jan. 25). Tennessee travels to Texas A&M (Dec. 4), West Virginia and Georgia Tech.
The Memphis series, however, is on hold.
Memphis athletics director R.C. Johnson told the Memphis Commercial-Appeal the two schools "haven't talked in months."
Dickey, however, said Wednesday he and Johnson had a verbal agreement to resume the series on the same pattern as the football series.
Under pressure from the Legislature, UT began playing Memphis in football in 1968. The Vols lead the series 18-1. The next scheduled game is in 2004.
Dickey indicated the football and basketball series are a package deal.
"If they don't want to play," he said, "we could accommodate them."
The basketball hiatus is due to Memphis coach John Calipari not wanting to play home-and-home. Calipari, according to the Commercial-Appeal, suggested a four-year contract playing in Nashville and sharing the revenue.
Tennessee wouldn't bite. The Vols want to play home games on campus. They also desire a presence in Memphis, the state's richest recruiting area, even if it's sporadic.
"I understand John's reasoning," Peterson said, "playing there in the middle of the state, but we didn't see how that could really help us going to Nashville.
"We need another home game. Memphis is an attractive opponent. We're trying our best to find somebody that's also got that appeal."
Mike Strange can be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.
