The Memphis Tigers have never been considered a traditional football power. In fact, for much of the program’s history, it’s been easy to find cheap Memphis football tickets. However, those days appear to be long over. In a short amount of time, the Tigers have exploded onto the college football landscape, quickly becoming one of the best teams outside of the power conferences. As a result, last-minute Memphis football tickets are suddenly a hot commodity in the Home of the Blues.

Just a Taste

The Tigers got their first taste of success in the 1960s under head coach Billy Murphy back when they were known as Memphis State. From 1960 to 1963, the Tigers were 33-5-1, culminating in a 9-0-1 campaign in 1963 that included a scoreless tie with no. 2 Ole Miss in the program’s second-ever undefeated season. Upon joining the Missouri Valley Conference in 1968, Murphy led Memphis State to three conference titles in four seasons, a stretch that ended with a win in the 1971 Pasadena Bowl, the second bowl game in program history.

A Long Wait

After Murphy retired following the 1971 season, the program soon took a downward turn. The Tigers would have to wait until 2003 to play in another bowl game. Head coach Tommy West took Memphis to five bowl games in a six-year period from 2003 to 2008. However, his tenure ended with a 2-10 season, beginning a stretch of the Tigers winning a total of five games over three seasons.

Worst to First

Starting in 2012, Justin Fuente saved Memphis football. The Tigers were 3-9 in Fuente’s second season, tying for last place during their first season in the American Athletic Conference. However, Memphis went from 3-9 in 2013 to 10-3 in 2014, winning a share of the AAC title and finishing the season with a bowl win and a spot in the top-25. Two years later, Mike Norvell picked up where Fuente left off. Norvell capped off his four-year stint in Memphis with a win in the AAC Championship Game and an invitation to the Cotton Bowl, officially taking the Tigers to new heights.