The Univ. of Memphis "wants to fill" the Liberty Bowl for tomorrow's football game against the Univ. of Cincinnati, and UM President David Rudd and AD Tom Bowen have been "out there, selling the game like crazy," according to Geoff Calkins of the Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL. The school hopes to draw at least 50,000 for its first AAC game of the season, which is being broadcast nationally on ESPN, and Rudd and Bowen have "sent emails to everyone who has ever bought a Memphis ticket, inviting them to come back." They also shot a video "on the field at Bowling Green" following last week's 44-41 win to promote Thursday's game and have made "discounted tickets available to the faculty." UM Deputy AD Mark Alnutt said of ticket sales, "It's trending very well. I don't want to give a number right now." He added of reaching the 50,000 figure, "I hope we can get there. It's going to make a big statement if we can get to that number." Calkins noted UM drew 52,384 fans "for a nationally televised Thursday night game against Louisville in 2004." UM wants to "show the country what its football program has become." It also wants to make an impression on "other conference commissioners and university presidents that Memphis would be a fine fit in a Power Five conference someday. Bowen: "It matters to people in my industry. People in our business, all the athletic directors, the presidents, remember what the football situation was at the university in 2011. It is very important to show that it is a vibrant, well-supported program" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 9/22).
