FedEx's Fred Smith had unparalleled impact on Memphis sports including a PGA Tour stop
But, for all the renown he received by revolutionizing the global shipping industry, Smith's impact on sports in Memphis is equally immeasurable.
It's a big reason former Memphis mayor Jim Strickland has described Smith as 'the most significant Memphian in history' on multiple occasions.
Smith, who died June 21 at 80, leaves behind an unmatched legacy of involvement, investment and influence on much of what has made Memphis a proud and passionate sports city.
'Every big opportunity that we've had, either Fred Smith or Fred Smith and FedEx, they were always the game changer,' Memphis Tourism president and CEO Kevin Kane told The Commercial Appeal in 2023 when the publication named Smith its Sports Person of the Year. 'They were the reason why things happened.'
Memphis is an NBA city thanks to Smith. Memphis is in position to remain an NBA city for the foreseeable future thanks to Smith.
"Fred Smith has been a driving force in the Memphis community since day one, and his endless contributions as a civic leader and corporate citizen are a part of an incredible legacy that will be remembered in our community and country forever," Grizzlies owner Robert Pera said in a statement.
Memphis (that is, the University of Memphis) is pushing for a Power 4 conference invitation by showing it can invest at the same level as Power 4 schools – thanks to Smith. Ed Scott, who was named Tigers athletic director in June 2024, said in a prepared statement on June 22 that the school and the athletic department are "deeply grateful to Fred Smith and his family for their unwavering support."
"Fred was more than a visionary businessman – he was an icon and a servant leader whose impact on the Memphis community is immeasurable," Scott's statement continues. "Without his foresight and extraordinary generosity, neither Memphis Athletics nor the City of Memphis would be what they are today. On a personal note, over the past 11 months, Fred has been both a mentor and a friend to me."
Scott also indicated the university looks forward to "honoring (Smith's) remarkable contributions in the days ahead."
In 2023, when it seemed like the Tigers' vision of a $220 million renovation project at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium might never come to fruition, Smith came to the rescue. Former Memphis athletic director Laird Veatch, who is now the AD at Missouri, worked closely with Smith during his tenure with the Tigers.
'I am so grateful to have the opportunity to spend time with Mr. Fred Smith," he said in a statement to The Commercial Appeal. "He was the definition of a visionary − he saw things that others didn't see, and he saw them clearly. I am thankful for his impact on Memphis and America. Prayers and blessings to the Smith and FedEx families.'
Memphis has established a rich football tradition in the form of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, the Southern Heritage Classic and, currently, as home to the UFL's Memphis Showboats thanks to Smith.
Fred Smith made Memphis a key stop on the PGA Tour
Memphis is home to one of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Playoff events (the FedEx St. Jude Championship), which since 2019 has brought dozens of the world's best golfers to TPC Southwind, shining one of the sport's brighter spotlights on Memphis – thanks to Smith.
And the list goes on. Jack Sammons, general chairman of the FedEx St. Jude Championship and dear friend of Smith's for more than 30 years, said Smith deserves more credit than he could ever get.
'You take him out of the equation and the sports scene in Memphis – the highlight would be Babe Howard's Olympic (USA Stadium) or something. AutoZone Park would never have been built. Hell, The Peabody might never have been remodeled," Sammons told The Commercial Appeal June 22. "You start by the (Mississippi) river and go all the way to Collierville, you wouldn't get very far without saying, 'Yep, without Fred, that wouldn't be there,' just over and over."
FedEx has been a title sponsor of Memphis' PGA Tour event since 1986, just 13 years after Smith oversaw the company's first flights take off from the Bluff City. Since then, it has become the title sponsor of the FedExCup (since 2007).
In a prepared statement issued on June 22, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan called Smith 'the visionary of FedEx who led every day with tremendous character and values.'
'Fred and his company made significant contributions to the growth and popularity of PGA TOUR golf, and the TOUR continues to benefit from his and FedEx's influence, which will be felt for generations to come,' Monahan said.
Smith's fingerprints are forever tattooed on Memphis' sports scene.
Perhaps, however, none more prominently so than the Grizzlies. When the franchise's owner, Michael Heisley, decided to move it out of Vancouver in 2001, several cities were in the running for its ultimate destination. New Orleans (pre-Pelicans) and Anaheim were contenders. So, too, was Louisville.
Memphis – which had long desired to be home to a major league sports organization only to come up short – emerged. Despite being the smallest market among the final four contenders, Smith's role in the negotiations was the difference.
'Heisley said the turning point in choosing Memphis over Louisville was the involvement of Memphis-based FedEx Corp., which will pay him for naming rights to the new arena,' The Commercial Appeal reported in 2001, when the deal came to fruition. FedEx paid a reported $92 million in the naming rights deal.
In 2023, when the Grizzlies' immediate future in Memphis appeared, at least, a bit shaky, Smith stepped up again. The franchise's FedExForum lease agreement was soon due to expire, and officials were reluctant to renew without a major renovation project to update the downtown facility.
Smith brokered a deal with local and state lawmakers that resulted in $230 million worth of state money being earmarked for FedExForum renovations.
Smith's son, Richard Smith (president and CEO of airline and international at FedEx), said his father always believed deeply in the power of sports on community.
"Look at your great cities in the U.S., look at your thriving cities, and they all have vibrant sports and entertainment," Richard Smith told The Commercial Appeal in 2023. "That's one of the great factors, the quality of life factors, that contributes to a great city. We think that's very important as far as being able to attract people to Memphis and to get them to want to stay in our headquarter city."
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X, and sign up for the Memphis Basketball Insider text group.
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