It's official: Memphis will vacate 2007-08 season
It's the punishment most observers probably expected, and now, if the Memphis Commercial-Appeal's source is correct, it's the punishment Memphis will face: The NCAA is forcing the Tigers to vacate their 2007-08 season, which included 38 wins and an a runner-up finish in the Final Four. The C-A's source knew of no other ongoing punishments or sanctions against what is now Josh Pastner's Memphis program. Memphis is expected to announce the punishment at a press conference this morning.
If accurate, it's the second time a Memphis team has been forced to vacate a season, and the second time former Memphis coach John Calipari has led an eventually vacated team to the Final Four.
Memphis fans may be rightfully upset. After all, if vacated, their best team in the past officially never happened. That's a weird reality to have thrust upon you. But in terms of actual effects, this vacation literally does nothing: Calipari won't be punished for having Derrick Rose's fake test scores make his way into his program (not that he necessarily should be, and let's have that argument another time, shall we?); Josh Pastner won't be punished with a loss of scholarships or future tournaments or anything of the sort; and Derrick Rose is in the NBA making millions of dollars and being generally awesome at what he does. With the possible exception of Memphis fans' psyches, this hurts nobody.
Which is not to say Memphis fans won't be bitter. If the Commercial-Appeal's Geoff Calkins is any indication, the anti-Calipari sentiment will run high. But that's largely over now. There's really no use being angry at Calipari; Memphis fans knew what they were signing up for, just as Kentucky fans do now. Memphis should, for better or worse, moved on. Plus, there's a sunny side to a vacated season: If you didn't win a national title, does it really matter anyway?
