Photos by Lance Sutehall and Michael Davis, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00
FedExForum 191 Beale St Memphis, TN 38103
Year Opened: 2004
Capacity: 18,400
The Tigers Are A Pouncin’
The Memphis Tigers play their basketball games seven miles away from their campus at the FedExForum in downtown Memphis. More famous for being the home of the NBA’s Grizzlies, FedExForum has been the home of Memphis basketball since 2004.
There is a proud tradition with the Tigers program as they have made 22 NCAA Tournament appearances that have not been vacated, including an appearance in the NCAA Championship Game in 1973. They have retired the jerseys of nine players, including #25 Penny Hardaway who is now the head coach of the program.
Food & Beverage 4
The good news is that the FedExForum has a lot of concession options due to the fact that it is an NBA arena. The bad news is that those concessions will cost you NBA concession prices.
Standard fare includes nachos ($7), pretzels ($6), candy ($4), peanuts ($4), and bottomless popcorn ($8). Soft drinks are Pepsi branded with options including bottled drinks ($4.50) and souvenir cups ($9). Combos include a Grind City burger combo ($17), Memphis Hot Chicken ($16), and Memphis Sausage ($15).
Vendors selling food in FedExForum include Rendezvous for BBQ, Delta Grill for Burgers, and Fowline Pizza. Alcohol is sold throughout the arena with options including wine ($10), cocktails ($13), beer ($12.50), and seltzers ($13.50). FedExForum is a cashless venue.
Atmosphere 4
The concourse of FedExForum is mostly decorated for the Grizzlies, not the Tigers. The only thing I saw that was specifically for the Tigers was a makeshift “Tiger Bookstore” souvenir stand.
Once inside the seating bowl, the Memphis Tigers court has the logo with a tiger scratch in the background. The band and the student section sit behind one of the baskets.
The cheerleaders and dance team also keep the atmosphere of the arena up during the game. Pouncer the Tiger walks all around FedExForum entertaining the crowd as well.
Neighborhood 5
FedEx Forum is located on Beale Street which is one of the main tourist attractions in Memphis. Beale Street is famous for its Blues clubs and restaurants.
Some of the dining options on Beale Street include B.B. King’s, Blues City Cafe, and Wet Willie’s, all of which have live music. There are also several bars on Beale Street if you want a drink.
Lodging options near Beale Street include the Westin, Hampton Inn, and a Hyatt Centric. If you stay near Beale Street you won’t need your car once you get to your hotel.
Fans 4
The fans of the Memphis Tigers are very passionate about their team and travel well. It is a tall task to get FedExForum to be an intimidating atmosphere, yet the Tigers fans do a great job.
The student section do a great job of keeping the energy up during the game. The energy that the students give spreads throughout the rest of the arena.
The band, cheerleaders, spirit squad, and Pouncer also do their part to get the fans going. If the fans get going, FedExForum can be an intimidating place to play.
Access 3
FedExForum is located on Beale Street. Safe parking nearby in a parking garage is going to run $30. Parking garages further away will cost you less. It is possible to score street parking but do that at your own risk. I parked on a nearby street for free and walked to FedExForum but I also attended a game on a Sunday afternoon.
Once inside, the arena is easy to navigate through with plenty of concession stands and restrooms. The seats are all chair backs and have plenty of legroom.
Return on Investment 3
Memphis Tigers basketball has variable pricing for games. Tickets start at $10 for upper level seats and go up to $150 depending on the seat, opponent, and date. If you buy a $20 ticket, park for another $20, and get some food, you are paying over $50 for a program in the American Athletic Conference.
Extras 5
FedExForum hosted one of the few 1 vs 2 matchups in college basketball history when the Tennessee Volunteers came to play the Memphis Tigers in 2008. The venue hosted the C-USA tournament from 2005 to 2009 and hosted the American Athletic Conference tournament in 2014 and 2019. It hosted the NCAA tournament four times, last time in 2024.
The venue has banners showing the successes of the basketball program. There are also banners of all nine of the retired jerseys for the Memphis Tigers basketball program
Final Thoughts
FedExForum is a great basketball venue as the Grizzlies can attest to. When the Tigers program is doing well it can also be an intimidating college basketball venue.
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