One reason Temple remains very much in the mix is that a lot of people within the league still believe the Big East could lose a school - or two or three. Will the Big 12 go after Louisville, or Louisville and Cincinnati, later this year? Will the Atlantic Coast Conference eventually take in Connecticut?
Even if no other school leaves, there are so many moving parts that Temple remains a possibility. One source said Big East discussions continue to include Temple. One of the biggest moving parts: When is West Virginia leaving for the Big 12? How many schools will play Big East football in the three seasons before 2015, when Navy arrives? Again, a lot of moving parts remain.
Meanwhile, Conference USA and the Mountain West, about to merge, reportedly have looked at Temple as a possible addition. That league just got a little less attractive with the loss of Memphis.
Memphis moved up in the Big East sweepstakes after Air Force decided not to join Navy as a football-only member. After the Big East took in Boise State, San Diego State, and Navy for football only and Southern Methodist and Houston for all sports, the basketball schools weighed in, looking to beef up their sport after Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia announced they were leaving.
Why Memphis over Temple? Was it just Villanova's opposition that again kept the Owls out? No. Memphis had a lot of support across the board as a basketball school. The lack of success of the football program obviously had held the Tigers back. They were 3-21 the last two seasons and just brought in a new coach, Justin Fuente.
But bringing in a program that reached the national title game in 2008 was an easy basketball sell. And the fact that the Big East would enter a new market, as opposed to splitting Philadelphia with Villanova and Temple, certainly was a big factor.
Reached last night, Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw said, "I'm only going to comment on the league that we're in."
Contact staff writer Mike Jensen at 215-854-4489, mjensen@phillynews.com, or @Jensenoffcampus on Twitter. Read his "Off Campus" columns at www.philly.com/offcampus
