An original football-playing member of the Big East in 1991, Temple and the conference “parted ways” in 2004 due to a combination of poor performance and lack of fan support.
Seven years later, and as was suggested here a week ago, the Owls could be on the verge of a return.
According to the Sporting News, the presidents of current Big East members will meet Sunday in Washington to continue discussions as to how the conference can stave off extinction following the departures of Pittsburgh and Syracuse. One of the items on the agenda? The presidents will reportedly vote on extending an offer to Temple to become a full-fledged member of the conference, including, obviously, in football.
The Owls currently call the MAC -- where they landed after getting the boot from the Big East and spending two years as an independent -- their conference home for football, while their other sports play in the Atlantic 10.
Another item on the agenda will reportedly be “demanding” a commitment from UConn and Rutgers. Both schools have been connected to rumors and speculation -- and in one case, public confirmation -- regarding a potential move to the ACC. Unlike current conference brethren Pitt and ‘Cuse, however, any interest in the ACC has not yet been reciprocated by the conference.