Temple football has a home football schedule all lined up for the 2020 season, but where the Owls will play those games is, for the moment, unconfirmed. That question may be answered in the near future, as Temple Athletic Director Dr. Patrick Kraft teased.
Temple Athletic Director, Dr. Patrick Kraft, said we would hear about where Temple FB would be playing for the 2020 season “soon.” He added, that they have a place to play but can’t say where just yet.
— Dante Collinelli (@DanteCollinelli) February 8, 2020
Temple has been playing home games in Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia since the stadium opened. The contract between Temple and the Philadelphia Eagles expired in 2017, but it was extended to keep the doors and field open for the Owls in 2018 and 2019. During that time, Temple has discussed alternatives that include constructing an on-campus stadium, but plans for such a stadium have been a controversial debating point in the Philadelphia community. Now, with the 2020 season a mere 29 Saturdays away, an on-campus stadium is completely out of the picture for the Owls.
Temple’s official football website does not currently list a home venue on it schedule page, suggesting the school has been trying to confirm its home details.
A return to The Linc is likely the most predictable outcome, but there are other options for a short-term solution. Temple could play games in historic Franklin Field, home to the Ivy League’s Penn Quakers. Temple has previously played home football games in Franklin Field. It may be a historic venue, but state-of-the-art it is not. Talen Energy Stadium, home to the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer, has hosted college football before (for a Villanova vs. Delaware game), but that would likely be far down the list of scenarios Temple would want to consider. If traveling down Broad Street form Temple’s campus to The Linc was a concern, making a trip to the next county over would be even less ideal.
Temple had been paying the Eagles $1 million per year to rent Lincoln Financial Field for its home games. According to multiple reports, the Eagles sought to raise that rent to $2 million, which is extraordinarily high compared to other rent prices NFL teams change college football programs for similar arrangements.