Temple to join Big East
The Associated Press – Temple head football coach Steve Addazio, left, speaks alongside athletic director Bill Bradshaw during a news conference to announce the addition of Temple to the Big East Conference for football next season and all other sports in 2013 in New York, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
March 7, 2012
According to a report from ESPN’s Joe Schad, Temple will join the Big East to play football this season.
In 2013, Temple will join the Big East in all sports.
From 2007 to this 2011, the Owls’ football program played in the MAC. All other Temple athletic programs played in the Atlantic 10.
The MAC released a statement Wednesday regarding Temple’s departure.
“The Conference and its member institutions engaged in a dialogue with Temple regarding an appropriate resolution. We have come to an agreement that is fair to the parties involved,” the MAC said in a statement.
According to the report by Schad, Temple will pay a $6 million exit fee to the MAC. The Owls would also owe the Atlantic 10 $1 million for giving the conference a one year’s notice to leave, or $2 million for less than one year.
Temple’s football team played in the Big East from 1991-94. However, it was forced to leave the conference since it was one of the worst in major college football.
Last year, the MAC added Massachusetts to become a football-only member to its conference which will start this season.
“It’s too soon to make any determinations,” said MAC commissioner Jon A. Steinbrecher in an ESPN.com article. “We’ll be very deliberate. There’s no reason to rush into anything. We’ll sit back and examine the landscape. We’ll observe, we’ll think strategically as a league and if there are moves that make sense that strengthen or improve us, we’ll make those moves.”
