Retro
May 16th, 2005, 03:08 PM
story (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=ncf&id=2061444)
Temple set to join Mid-American Conference for football onlyAssociated Press
College Football News Wire
PHILADELPHIA -- Temple's football program has found a home, accepting an offer to join the Mid-American Conference, a school athletic department source said Monday.
The source, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, confirmed the Owls will join the MAC as a full member in 2007. An official announcement is scheduled for Tuesday.
The Owls were kicked out of the Big East after 13 years for failing to meet minimum requirements for membership, most notably in attendance, facilities and fielding a competitive team.
The football team will play the next two seasons as an independent, though the Owls will likely add more MAC teams to their schedule for those two seasons. Temple is to play MAC teams Toledo, Bowling Green and Miami (Ohio) in 2005.
The rest of Temple's athletic teams will remain in the Atlantic 10, where Temple has been since 1982. No other A-10 school plays Division I-A football.
Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw was unavailable for comment. A telephone message left for MAC commissioner Rick Chryst wasn't immediately returned.
The Owls were overmatched in the Big East and haven't had a winning record since going 7-4 under Jerry Berndt in 1990. They went 2-9 last season and are 19-60 in seven seasons under coach Bobby Wallace.
Though Wallace said during the season the Owls would be a perfect fit for the MAC, the Owls lost to two of those mid-major teams in 2004: 45-17 at Toledo and 70-16 against Bowling Green.
Temple set to join Mid-American Conference for football onlyAssociated Press
College Football News Wire
PHILADELPHIA -- Temple's football program has found a home, accepting an offer to join the Mid-American Conference, a school athletic department source said Monday.
The source, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, confirmed the Owls will join the MAC as a full member in 2007. An official announcement is scheduled for Tuesday.
The Owls were kicked out of the Big East after 13 years for failing to meet minimum requirements for membership, most notably in attendance, facilities and fielding a competitive team.
The football team will play the next two seasons as an independent, though the Owls will likely add more MAC teams to their schedule for those two seasons. Temple is to play MAC teams Toledo, Bowling Green and Miami (Ohio) in 2005.
The rest of Temple's athletic teams will remain in the Atlantic 10, where Temple has been since 1982. No other A-10 school plays Division I-A football.
Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw was unavailable for comment. A telephone message left for MAC commissioner Rick Chryst wasn't immediately returned.
The Owls were overmatched in the Big East and haven't had a winning record since going 7-4 under Jerry Berndt in 1990. They went 2-9 last season and are 19-60 in seven seasons under coach Bobby Wallace.
Though Wallace said during the season the Owls would be a perfect fit for the MAC, the Owls lost to two of those mid-major teams in 2004: 45-17 at Toledo and 70-16 against Bowling Green.