Temple in Big East more enticing to recruits

MORE VICTORIES on the field, more fans in the stands and, now, a return to the Big East Conference that booted Temple out of the league in 2004 for insufficient performance. It should all add up to a better grade of recruits for the school's re-energized football program, which now can begin targeting the kind of prospects that the Owls weren't likely to interest as a member of the less-prestigious Mid-American Conference.

So say recruiting analysts Jeremy Crabtree, of ESPN.com, and Tom Lemming, of MaxPreps, both of whom believe Temple can now dangle a larger, more enticing carrot in front of blue-chippers.

"Now they can legitimately tell a kid he's going to play in a major conference with a chance to appear in a high-level bowl game," Crabtree said. "That's something you just can't pitch in the MAC.

"I don't know if they're going to dramatically alter their recruiting blueprint because they're moving from one conference to another. They've traditionally focused their recruiting to Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the Northeast, and I don't think that will change."

But Lemming thinks Temple won't be satisfied to limit itself to the same geographical base. The new-look Big East stretches as far west as California (San Diego State comes aboard in 2013), and the Owls figure to at least have an expanded recruiting presence in Florida and the Midwest.

"You have to credit [former Temple coach] Al Golden and Steve Addazio for turning things around at Temple," Lemming said. "They're winning a lot more games now; they're competitive in a lot of ways. That helps, too. Kids that go there now believe they have a chance to win, to play on TV, to have some crowd support. It makes a difference."