After nearly two years of negotiations, the Temple Owls' football team will become a conference opponent of the Ohio Bobcats.
Temple officially was announced as a football-only member of the Mid-American Conference at a press conference Tuesday. The Owls will remain an affiliate member for the 2005 and 2006 seasons and will become a full member in 2007.
We're very pleased to welcome Temple to our conference
said John Peters, Northern Illinois president and chairman of the MAC Council of Presidents. We are just delighted that we've found a partner that matches our institutional goals and values.
When looking for new members, the MAC Council of Presidents looked for institutions that were similar to the current MAC schools. The presidents recognized Temple as a large, public university with good leadership and a tradition of academic and athletic success, much like Ohio and its fellow MAC schools.
I think from their (the presidents') perspective the foremost consideration was institutional fit -do prospective schools look like us are they built like us -from athletic and institutional standpoints MAC Commissioner Rick Chryst said. In that regard
certainly Temple scored highly.
One of the more lucrative benefits of the partnership with Temple is the school's location. For Ohio, the addition of Temple as a MAC opponent and Ohio wide receivers coach Derek Mason's connections in that region could lead to a multitude of recruiting prospects. Philadelphia is one of the biggest media markets in the country, and exposure there could open up more national publicity opportunities.
Chryst likened the move into Philadelphia to the MAC's recent forays into two other markets who were unfamiliar with the MAC -Mobile, Ala., where the GMAC Bowl is held, and Orlando, home of former MAC school Central Florida.
We've been able to tell our story and tell our story well
he said. We think the same will be true in Philadelphia.
Even with the obvious advantages to Temple's move into the MAC, issues linger regarding the sensibility of the choice to add Temple.
The MAC lost two schools this year -Marshall and Central Florida -and some questioned the decision to add Temple as a football-only member. But Temple already had several football games scheduled with MAC opponents before it joined the conference, evidence of MAC schools' willingness to play against the Owls.
Sitting around with the previous staff and even some feedback I've gotten prior to this from the new staff
we would love to play Temple
Ohio recruiting coordinator Pete Germano said. From a competitive standpoint
I think it'd be a really good game for us. If you could pick games that you feel would be competitive for you
Temple's always been on the list.
We intend to come into your league and to contend for your championship
Temple Director of Athletics Bill Bradshaw said. We fully plan that we're coming in and want to compete successfully.
In his eight years at Temple, coach Bobby Wallace has seen many disappointing football seasons, but he agreed.
There is not a thing in the world that can keep Temple from being successful if we do our job.
