The Temple Owls are likely to join the Big East conference in all sports in 2012, NYTimes.com and CBSSports.com have reported.
The Big East is desperate for another school to fill in for West Virginia after the Mountaineers were released to compete in the Big 12 in 2012. Sources told CBSSports.com that the deal with Temple “is done.”
If Temple joins the Big East in 2012, the conference will have eight football members in 2012 and twelve in 2013. Pittsburgh and Syracuse will likely leave for the ACC in 2013, while Boise State, Houston, Memphis, San Diego State, SMU and UCF will join the Big East in 2013.
Navy joins the conference in 2015, which would bring the total football membership to 13. However, sources have told CBS that Louisville is the “…consensus choice for the Big 12’s 11th member, if the league expands, and that the Cardinals would accept an invitation to the Big 12.”
Here is a look at what the Big East will look like over the next few years with the addition of Temple in 2012 and Louisville still listed:
2012
- Cincinnati
- Connecticut
- Louisville
- Pittsburgh
- Rutgers
- Syracuse
- Temple
- USF
2013
- Boise State
- Cincinnati
- Connecticut
- Houston
- Memphis
- Louisville
- Rutgers
- San Diego State
- SMU
- Temple
- UCF
- USF
2015
- Boise State
- Cincinnati
- Connecticut
- Houston
- Memphis
- Louisville
- Navy
- Rutgers
- San Diego State
- SMU
- Temple
- UCF
- USF
Good idea, but trying to juggle schedules (mainly the MAC teams) this late is totally retarded. Join in July, 2013, that makes sense and with almost zero headaches and bickering.
Corso – You certainly have a point about it eliminating problems for the MAC. However, the Big East is trying to eliminate the problem of teams playing each other twice this season – once as a non-conference game. Temple is a good choice for a re-add. Even if the football team goes backs to its 90s performance, the basketball program is solid.
How is this league still a BCS conference? Rutgers is the only 2012 team that was in the Big East when the conference was anointed as one of the “Big 6.”
Pretty simple: because the Big East has the New York market, and thus, the most TV sets to make money off.
I’d say it’s more to do witha clear defined way to MAKE a conference AQ (those 4 qualifying factors) but there was never a way defined to CUT an AQ.
This could change in 2014 when it’s possible AQ/non-AQ doesn’t exist.
I’ve gotta say congrats FBSchedules for not only breaking this before ESPN did, but atually generating more chatter on the comment board than on ESPN.
…I miss college football….
Thanks. ESPN probably didn’t write anything on it because their competitor CBS Sports beat them to it.
“We will sue West Virginia for trying to leave our conference early! How dare they screw up everyone’s football schedules and leave the fate of our conference to chance at such an inopportune time!
Oh, Temple? Yeah, bring them in early. I’m sure the MAC will figure something out.”
Its sad that Temple would treat the MAC this way after the way the Big East dumped their asses….if the MAC hadn’t offered them a spot,would Temple even have a team today?
Big East is desperate. They need a team so that Big East members won’t have to play twice during the season.
I wonder how that Big East basketball tourney is going to be set up with 18 members. Geez! They already have the biggest conference tourney as it is (5 rounds; Tues-Sat). Maybe a pair of play-in games on a Monday to bring it down to 16?