Reports: Temple close to joining Big East for all sports

AS MANY anticipated all along, Temple finally might be emerging as the option that makes the most sense for the ongoing process that has become Big East expansion.

Sources have confirmed reports that the conference, which recently learned West Virginia would be leaving for the Big 12 this summer, now could be looking to add the Owls. And chances are it might happen sooner than later, perhaps even within a week.

CBSsports.com reported that Temple "is close" to joining the Big East for all sports in 2012.

Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw, staying consistent with his policy, said he could not comment on any conference other than the ones in which Temple is currently a member.

A Big East source told the Daily News that for the time being there remains a chance Temple might only be asked to come in for football. There's been so many moving parts in this thing for so long that you're really never sure until it actually becomes reality.

For Temple to be admitted into the Big East, it would require a full vote by conference members, including the basketball schools.

At the moment, the Big East only has seven football members for the 2012 season, which obviously creates a void. The first solution appeared to be trying to bring Boise State in for football only a year early. But there were financial buyouts in the eight-figure range that apparently couldn't be worked out.

The Owls, who played in the Big East for football only from 1991-2004 before being asked to leave, currently are members of the MAC for football and the Atlantic 10 for all other sports. Sources have said it would cost Temple about $3.5 million to leave the MAC immediately. A-10 sources indicated the fee for leaving that conference right now would be roughly $1.5 million, and "a lot less" if the exit took place a year after Temple gave notice of its intentions.

Sources have said that the Big East might be willing to help Temple deal with those issues.

Sources have said that the new conference formed by the merger of Conference-USA and the Mountain West also is interested in the Owls.

The Owls have won 26 games the past three seasons. Last year they went 9-4 for new coach Steve Addazio, who succeeded Al Golden. That included a rout of Wyoming in the New Mexico Bowl. Syracuse and Pittsburgh are scheduled to leave the Big East in July 2013 for the Atlantic Coast Conference.

In addition to Boise, which was the key in terms of BCS presence, the Big East has announced the additions of San Diego State and Navy (in 2015) for football only, and Central Florida, SMU, Houston and Memphis for all sports, also beginning in 2013.