Scott Drew explains rationale behind home-and-home series vs. Memphis

For the next four years, Baylor and Memphis will square off. The two programs agreed to a home-and-home series, starting this coming season.

As part of the agreement, Memphis will host this year’s matchup before traveling to Waco in 2026 and 2027. Baylor will then return to FedEx Forum for the fourth and final installment of the series.

The goal, according to Scott Drew, was to enhance each team’s non-conference schedule because it helps boost teams’ resumes later in the year. It also keeps pace with his goal of playing tough teams out of Big 12 play. Baylor traveled to Gonzaga last year for the season opener one year after taking on Auburn to start the 2023-24 season.

“At the end of the day, the one great thing about the NCAA and the way scheduling works is you don’t get penalized for playing quality opponents in the non-conference and you can only benefit for the team that wins,” Drew told Gary Parrish. “It allows for teams to play a more aggressive non-conference schedule. As you know, Memphis has had a very successful program and it’s a game that hopefully will make both of us better.”

Baylor became a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament last year and fell to Duke in the second round to finish 20-15. The Bears were led by VJ Edgecombe, who went on to become the No. 3 overall pick in last month’s NBA Draft.

Memphis, meanwhile, won the American Athletic Conference to become a No. 5 seed in March Madness. The Tigers finished the year 29-6, winning the most games under Penny Hardaway to date.

Both programs’ success was part of the appeal to start a home-and-home series, Scott Drew said. In the end, he sees it as a win-win for each side as they prepare for their respective conference schedules.

“I think the tradition of winning,” Drew said. “Obviously, Penny’s done a great job with the program. It’s a great environment for us to get ready for Big 12 play. The non-conference schedule for us is what games give us an opportunity to get prepared for Big 12 play? You’ve got to have great opponents, great atmospheres. We get that going to Memphis, and at the same time, we get to just see what we have to improve and get ready and get better at come season time.

“What makes a great program is great players. Both our programs have had great players. We just finished with VJ getting drafted third. That’s a fifth straight year we’ve had a Top-19 pick – the only program in the country to do that. I figured this thing out a long time ago: The better the players, the better the coach. We’ve been blessed to have some good ones.”