OT - Temple joins Big East (For Real)

Submitted by clarkiefromcanada on

Finally, after months and weeks of speculation the Temple Owls have joined the Big East. The invitation is for football next season and all sports in 2013. Total cost to join was $6 million payable to the MAC (split 50/50 with Big East) and $1 million to the Atlantic 10.

Temple should be immediately competive in Big East football having beaten AQ teams UConn and Maryland soundly in each of the past two seasons. Temple did narrowly lose to Penn State last year at home. 

It is in basketball, in 2013, where marked change is coming as Temple should add significantly more depth to what is already a scary conference. The recruiting advantage that Villanova has enjoyed in Philadelphia should end immediately; it will be interesting to see what becomes of Villanova without the Big East variable. Attendance at the Liacouras Centre will certainly improve with the likes of Georgetown, Notre Dame, Marquette, Louisville, Seton Hall etc. visiting (as opposed to A10 stalwarts St. Bonaventure, Saint Louis etc.

Overall, a good move for Temple and a win for the Big East. The Big East has added a competive football program capable of competing with AQ teams from larger conferences and a basketball team capable of competing with anyone.  The big losers in all of this: a) the ACC who accepted two crap football teams in Syracuse/Pittsburgh in order to improve their basketball; b) Villanova. 

 

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2012/03/temple-officially-joining-big-east-for-football-2012/1#.T1f1qsBA_lw

MichiganMan2424

March 7th, 2012 at 7:04 PM ^

So you're from Canada, go to Temple, and a Michigan fan...how did that happen?

Chippewa Blue

March 7th, 2012 at 7:12 PM ^

I repeat the general feeling of most MAC fans, good riddance to a team that never wanted to be here, thought they were sooooooo much better than the rest of us, and then never even made the MAC title game

WolvinLA2

March 7th, 2012 at 7:24 PM ^

Exactly.  They had at least 3 MAC losses all but one year in the conference, have made it to two bowls in the last who knows how many years, and really didn't beat anyone worth noting out of conference.  They've been a pretty typical MAC teams since 2007, this after winning 5 games the 5 seasons previous to that.

WolvinLA2

March 7th, 2012 at 7:59 PM ^

Yes, I remember people worrying about UConn before that game, but I don't remember many poeple worrying too much once the game actually started.  Michigan wasn't that good in 2010, and we destroyed them.  So let's not going saying that beating UConn in 2010 is a program defining win.

WolvinLA2

March 7th, 2012 at 8:13 PM ^

They were 3-way champs with Pitt and WVU.  Yes, Temple beat them, but so did 4-8 Rutgers and so did Louisville - 26-0.  All this shows is how terrible the Big East was that year.

EDIT:  And if conference standing is pertinent to this debate, then let me point out that Temple was tied for 5th in the MAC that year. 

manchild56

March 7th, 2012 at 7:13 PM ^

this is almost word for word from your post on this same subject last week or so. But in all fairness this should really help Temple in the long run.

clarkiefromcanada

March 7th, 2012 at 7:22 PM ^

Last week was speculation.

This week is fact.

Also, I was more angry about Villanova last week. Now I kind of feel sorry for them as they've lost whatever advantages they might have had over temple since 1981 in basketball recruiting via Big East membership.

WolvinLA2

March 7th, 2012 at 7:30 PM ^

Don't feel too bad for them just yet.  Unlike Temple, they've had very good basketball teams over the last few years, and an experienced coach.  Give Temple a few years in the Big East before you start pitying any of the other teams.

clarkiefromcanada

March 7th, 2012 at 7:47 PM ^

The only advantage Villanova had was to keep Temple out of the Big East in basketball. It is well known that they agitated heavily in October during rd. 1 of expansion searching for Big East to keep Temple out (and thus keep the Philly recruits who wanted to play Big East locally). On a level playing field, Temple is more than academically competitive with Villanova (which is a fine undergraduate institution) and the Liacouras Centre is a far superior venue for basketball. 

Jay Wright has been a good recruiter at Villanova; yet his teams have still lost to Fran Dunphy and Temple with some regularity. Temple's 25 big five titles and sixth all time wins are reasonable selling points as well. 

You're right, I don't pity Villanova; I'm glad they don't have much to offer now that they don't have the Big East membership exclusivity.

WolvinLA2

March 7th, 2012 at 7:14 PM ^

I think you're overselling Temple as a football team.  Sure, they've beaten some bad BCS conference teams the last couple years, and stuck with a pretty bad Penn State team, but that does not make them good.  The Big East is losing WVU now, and Syracuse and Pitt soon.  Temple does not come close to replacing what they lost, and they were already a terrible football conference.

LSAClassOf2000

March 7th, 2012 at 7:45 PM ^

That being said, it will take more than Temple to replace what the Big East is losing in football, and that isn't saying much about the Big East (why did they have an AQ bid now?). As for basketball, they should be a good fit in a pretty deep basketball conference. I am forced to wonder, however, what the growing pains will be like in both sports in a new (well, not exactly new for Temple) conference. In both of the sports you highlight, this probably does at least help from a revenue standpoint, especially basketball, as they'll   get even more of the perennial headline acts to come, I think. 

Mr.Mario86

March 7th, 2012 at 7:23 PM ^

Temple is a good addition to the Big East and is a fairly decent Football & Basketball program. It will be interesting to see a former MAC team possibly in a BSC bowl next year, because of the weak conference.

BiSB

March 7th, 2012 at 7:28 PM ^

Big East Official #1: "People are laughing at our conference. How can we get them to take us more seriously as a football power?"

Big East Official #2: "I dunno... Temple? They play football, right?"

Big East Official #1: "Eh, fuckit. Good Enough. Wanna go get high?"

Towlie: "Don't forget to bring a towel..."

manchild56

March 7th, 2012 at 7:39 PM ^

didn't see eye to eye last week either, I will stick to my guns and say it again Temple is not gonna do very well in the Big East in football. I was told that the MAC was better in football than the Big East, and I live in MAC country and I love them, but no way the MAC is on the Big East level in football.

WolvinLA2

March 7th, 2012 at 8:04 PM ^

Seriously, you're sounding like a sad homer.  Remember how UConn wasn't actually good that year?  Temple was outgained by UConn in that game and was actually losing after three quarters.  Yes, they won.  They also lost to 3 MAC teams that year, and needed OT to beat CMU.  This does not make Temple football good.

clarkiefromcanada

March 7th, 2012 at 8:57 PM ^

I don't think TU is on the cusp of dominance in football (they'll be competitive in the "new" Big East) but they'll do very well in basketball. The recruiting vs. Villanova has been a huge issue due to the 'Nova Big East affiliation.

As an aside, your friend must represent every single Rutgers alumni or student I have ever met from New Jersey. 

707oxford

March 8th, 2012 at 9:32 AM ^

Big East football is so unwatchable.  I live right down the road from a Big East stadium, have access to dirt cheap tickets, and still don't go to games.  It's hard to get excited when Louisville comes to town and is one of the best teams on the schedule.  Temple doesn't really up the ante.