If you’re sitting there trying to figure out what conference is Temple in right now, don't feel bad. Honestly, college sports have become a game of musical chairs where the music never actually stops. One day you're watching a local rivalry, and the next, your team is flying halfway across the country to play a "conference" game against a school you didn't even know had a football program.
For Temple University, the short answer is the American Athletic Conference, or simply "The American."
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But the long answer? That involves a history of being kicked out of leagues, jumping ship just before it sank, and somehow landing on their feet in a conference that looks nothing like it did five years ago.
The Current State of the Owls
Right now, as we head through the 2025-26 athletic cycle, Temple remains a full member of the American Athletic Conference. This covers pretty much everything: football, basketball, soccer, you name it. They’ve been here since 2013, which in the world of modern realignment, makes them practically ancient.
It’s worth noting that the AAC recently went through a bit of a rebrand. While everyone still calls it the AAC, the league officially pushed to be referred to as the American Conference starting in late 2025. It’s a small change, but if you see it on a broadcast and think you missed a whole new conference move, relax. It’s the same group of schools.
Who is Temple actually playing?
Since the big-name schools like UCF, Houston, and Cincinnati bolted for the Big 12, the neighborhood has changed. Temple is now rubbing elbows with:
- Army (who just joined for football in 2024)
- Navy (their long-time football-only rival)
- Memphis (the current big dog of the league)
- USF (South Florida)
- East Carolina
- Tulane
- UTSA, North Texas, and Rice (the Texas trio)
The 2026 Outlook: Football and Beyond
If you're looking ahead to the 2026 season, the schedule is already locked in. The American released the 2026 football rotation recently, and Temple has a pretty interesting slate. They’ll be hosting Army, Charlotte, Rice, and UAB at Lincoln Financial Field. On the flip side, they’ve got road trips to East Carolina, Memphis, Navy, and South Florida.
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Football under head coach K.C. Keeler—who took over in late 2024 and brought a ton of energy back to North Broad—is in a massive rebuilding phase. Keeler, a local legend who won national titles at Delaware and Sam Houston State, has been open about the fact that Temple is his "last job." He’s currently working with one of the top-ranked recruiting classes in the conference for 2026, which is something Owls fans haven't seen in a long time.
Why Does Everyone Keep Asking This?
The reason "what conference is Temple in" is such a popular search term is because Temple’s history is a total mess. If you’ve followed them for more than a decade, your brain is probably fried.
- The Big East Exile: Temple was a football-only member of the original Big East from 1991 to 2004. Then, in a move that still stings for older fans, the conference actually voted to kick them out because of poor attendance and performance.
- The MAC Years: They spent some time as an independent before crawling into the Mid-American Conference (MAC). It wasn't prestigious, but it saved the program.
- The Big East Return (Sorta): In 2012, they rejoined the Big East. But literally a year later, the "Catholic Seven" schools took the Big East name to start their own basketball-centric league. The schools that were left over—including Temple—became the AAC.
So, Temple has basically been in the same "lineage" of a conference since 2012, but the names and the members have changed so many times it feels like they've moved five times.
Basketball and the "Big 5" Factor
Basketball is where things get even more confusing for outsiders. While Temple is in the American for its primary conference schedule, they are also a core part of the Philadelphia Big 5.
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For years, the Big 5 was just an informal round-robin between Temple, Villanova, Penn, Saint Joseph’s, and La Salle. In 2023, they added Drexel and turned it into a formal tournament called the Big 5 Classic.
When you see Temple playing Villanova or Saint Joe's, those aren't conference games. They’re "city games." But in Philly, they often matter more to the fans than a random January game against Tulsa or Charlotte. Under coach Adam Fisher, the Owls have been surprisingly competitive, recently making a deep run in the 2024 AAC tournament that reminded everyone why Temple used to be a national powerhouse.
Quick Facts: Temple Athletics 2026
- Primary Conference: American Athletic Conference (AAC)
- Football Stadium: Lincoln Financial Field (Home of the Eagles)
- Basketball Arena: Liacouras Center (On-campus)
- New Rivals: Since the 2023 expansion, Temple has developed a weirdly intense rivalry with UTSA and North Texas.
- 2026 Recruiting: Currently ranked #2 in the AAC for football.
Is More Change Coming?
In the current era of "Super Conferences," nobody is ever truly safe. There are always rumors about the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) looking to expand or the AAC losing more teams to the Pac-12 (which is currently trying to rebuild itself).
However, for now, Temple is a cornerstone of the American. They provide the league with a footprint in Philadelphia, the nation’s fourth-largest media market. That’s a huge deal for TV contracts. While some fans dream of a move to the ACC to reunite with old rivals like Pitt or Syracuse, there’s nothing concrete on the horizon.
The biggest challenge for Temple isn't what conference they're in; it's the new world of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) and the transfer portal. General Manager Clayton Barnes and Coach Keeler have been vocal about the need for "revenue-share contracts" to keep their best players from being poached by Power Four schools. It’s a tough spot to be in—basically acting as a "triple-A" team for the giants—but the Owls are fighting to stay relevant.
Actionable Steps for Fans
If you're trying to keep up with the Owls in 2026, here is how you actually do it without getting lost in the shuffle:
- Download the "American Conference" App: Since the rebrand, the old AAC apps might be buggy. Make sure you have the latest version to track standings.
- Check the Big 5 Classic Schedule: These games usually happen in December at the Wells Fargo Center. They won't show up on your standard "AAC Conference Schedule" list because they are technically non-conference.
- Follow OwlScoop: If you want the real dirt on whether Temple is looking at other conferences, the reporters at OwlScoop (on the On3 network) are usually the first to know.
- Watch the 2026 Recruiting Trail: With K.C. Keeler bringing in high-level talent, the 2026 season might be the first time in a decade that Temple is a legitimate threat to win the conference title.
The bottom line is that Temple is in the American. It’s a league that stretches from Philly to Florida to Texas. It’s a bit of a geographic nightmare, sure, but it’s home for the Owls—at least for today.