For the second time in program history, the University Of Memphis Football Program will have the opportunity to protect the 901 from foreign invaders as the Iowa State Cyclones transcend upon Beale Street, looking to harness lightning in a bottle for the second time since 2017. Once again, it’ll be a familiar foe in Iowa State and a gigantic spotlight shown on Bluff City as the auditions to join the Big 12 or another Power-Five conference continue to take the stage for the Memphis Football program.

According to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in an interview with The Mitch Davis Show Podcast, Harold Graeter mentioned a high-ranking official from the Big 12 conference would be in attendance, implying that a record-breaking crowd from the Memphis folks is mandatory if the Tigers want to stay in the conversation to upgrade from their current situation in the American Athletic Conference.

Since 2019, Memphis has played in two games with such magnitude that could change the entire program. Both times, Memphis showed out in a way that only Memphis can. First came in early November of the magical Cotton Bowl season, where the Memphis Tigers welcomed College Game Day to Beale Street. That night, the Tiger Nation filled the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium with record-breaking numbers. The second came in the 2019 American Athletic Championship game against Cincinnati, once again, a program-changing win as Memphis fans gave Coach Mike Norvell and his boys the advantage to clinch a life-changing Cotton Bowl trip.

Will the Memphis fans do it again?

Who knows, but there’s no question that Memphis fans can do it.

It might not be the traditional bowl experience that Memphis fans have grown accustomed to over the last ten years. However, the Tigers are playing in their hometown, in their home stadium, and have the opportunity to show the Big 12 officials that the University Of Memphis is a viable option once the conference decides to expand.

For the Memphis fans still on the fence about going, understand the program will never go where you want it to go without protecting the 901. Friday has the potential to be a special day for Memphis Tigers Football. A win over Iowa State in front of the entire city will put Memphis over the top in positioning for a better future filled with Championships and maybe a bid to the College Football Playoffs for the Memphis Football program. All of that starts on Friday afternoon as the city decides to either protect the 901 or get left behind by the visiting Cyclones of Iowa State.