American Athletic Conference commissioner Michael Aresco announced the scheduling plan for all conference football teams for the 2020 and 2021 seasons in a press release on Monday.
“This scheduling model provides balance and competitive equity and will contribute to the exciting seasons to which we have become accustomed to the American Athletic Conference,” Aresco said in the press release. “It is a fair model that was unanimously supported by our athletic directors.”
The conference will have just 11 teams after Connecticut announced its exit from the conference on June 27.
The Huskies’ departure from the conference prompted The American to file for permission from the NCAA to eliminate divisions and keep their conference championship game.
The American was granted permission to do so on Oct. 19, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Aresco said they would determine which teams qualify for the conference championship at a “later date” in the same press release.
Although Temple will no longer be a part of the East division, it will maintain the same schedule structure of playing eight conference games and four non-conference games.
Next season, the Owls will play South Florida, Cincinnati, East Carolina, and Southern Methodist at home, and Central Florida, Tulane, Navy, and Memphis on the road.
For its non-conference games next season, Temple will play Idaho University and Rutgers University at home and face the University of Miami and the University of Massachusetts on the road.
In 2021, the Owls will play Central Florida, Houston, Memphis and Navy at home and Cincinnati, South Florida, East Carolina and Tulsa on the road.
Temple has not played Houston or Tulsa since the 2018 season. The Golden Hurricane visited Lincoln Financial Field on Sept. 20, and the Owls last traveled to Houston on Nov. 10.
Their non-conference games in 2021 are at home against Boston College and on the road against Rutgers University and the University of Akron.
Temple is 7-29-2 against Boston College and last saw the Eagles at Chestnut Hill last season. Temple holds a 14-7 advantage against Akron, with the teams’ last meeting dating back to 2011.
Rutgers is a former member of The American. The Owls’ last meeting with the Scarlet Knights was in 2013, the year when Rutgers exited the conference. The Owls are 15-21 against Rutgers.
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