Memphis basketball cuts capacity, adds taxes at FedExForum for 2025-26

Memphis basketball is cutting capacity—and adding taxes—at FedExForum for the 2025-26 season.

The school announced Tuesday morning that it plans to reduce overall seating inside the venue by 3,649 by implementing a curtain system on both the north and south side of the terrace level. This isn’t exactly an unprecedented development, as Memphis curtained off the terrace level for American Athletic Conference (AAC) games against Tulsa (Feb. 5) and Rice (Feb. 26) in 2024-25.

FedExForum’s overall capacity (previously 18,000) now drops to 14,470 for Tigers basketball home games, “with the ability to open the curtains for games as ticket sales deem necessary.” Ticket pricing in the plaza and club sections will be restructured for “a more affordable experience,” according to the school.

Memphis is also now asking fans to pay the Shelby County sales tax rate of 9.75% for both tickets and parking, a price that the athletic department has historically absorbed. The school says it’s making these changes in light of the “new era in college athletics.” NCAA rules will allow athletic departments to directly share revenue with players starting July 1.

The news coincides with Memphis opening up season ticket sales for men’s basketball, women’s basketball and football.

“Memphis Athletics understands season ticket members are vital to the success and sustained competitive excellence of the department as a whole and is unveiling changes to its ticket structure to assist the department in the new era of college athletics,” the school said in a news release. “The department will not be adding any new fees for revenue sharing, however, season ticket members will be asked to pay the existing sales tax on tickets and parking. The adjustment to the sales tax on all tickets and parking will allow Memphis Athletics to better align financially with aspirational institutions that are currently charging or will be adding sales tax to their tickets.”

Memphis comes off a 29-6 campaign where it won the AAC regular-season and conference tournament championships, and earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Penny Hardaway led the Tigers to a 13-2 mark inside FedExForum this year, and is 95-15 at home in his first seven seasons.

Hardaway coaches his eighth season at the school next winter.