Why Mark Byington, Penny Hardaway want to continue Vanderbilt-Memphis basketball series

Vanderbilt basketball's initial home-and-home series against Memphis was just two games, but both sides are interested in extending it.The Commodores (3-0) defeated the Tigers (2-1), 105-81, in the matchup Nov. 10 at Memorial Gymnasium. In the 2025 matchup at FedEx Forum in Memphis, Vanderbilt won 77-70 in overtime."I got the job here and I wanted to play Memphis, and it's good for the fans, both sides of it," Commodores coach Mark Byington said. " ... We reached out to them this last year, and we wanted to set it up, and we initiated it. ... It's the end of the contract, but we'll definitely be talking again. Right now in college basketball, we need something to happen in November."Memphis coach Penny Hardaway remembers playing Vanderbilt in his days as a player with the Tigers from 1991-93."I think it's pretty cool to play these little in-state rivalries with Vandy, Tennessee, and things like that," Hardaway said. "It's just healthy. We've done it since we were in school, since I was in school, playing Vandy. I hope to keep this going."Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Mark Byington, Penny Hardaway want to continue Vanderbilt-Memphis basketball series