Temple Basketball: Which Conference Do They Call Home?

what conference is temple basketball in

The Temple Owls men's basketball team represents Temple University in basketball. The Owls compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I as a member of the American Athletic Conference. Temple joined the American Athletic Conference in 2013, and the Owls have struggled since, making the NCAA Tournament only in 2016 and 2019.

Characteristics Values
Name of the team Temple Owls
University Temple University
Conference American Athletic Conference (The American)
Division NCAA Division I
Home games venue Liacouras Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Head coach Adam Fisher
Wins 2,000
National Invitation Tournament (NIT) champion 1938, 1969
NCAA Tournament appearances 33
NCAA Tournament record 33-33
National Invitation Tournament (NIT) appearances 19
National Invitation Tournament (NIT) record 23-17
Number of men's and women's varsity athletic teams 19
Number of teams competing at the Division I level 18

shunwild

Temple Owls basketball team history in the American Athletic Conference

The Temple Owls men's basketball team represents Temple University in basketball. They compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I as a member of the American Athletic Conference (The American). The Owls play their home games in the Liacouras Center on the university's main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are currently led by head coach Adam Fisher.

Temple has a rich history in basketball, being the sixth-most winningest NCAA Division I men's college basketball program of all time, with 2,000 wins. They won the inaugural National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in 1938, which was also recognized as the national championship, as the NCAA Tournament did not exist until the following year. They won the NIT again in 1969 and made two NCAA Final Four appearances in 1956 and 1958 under head coach Harry Litwack.

Temple joined the American Athletic Conference in 2013 after the Big East Conference split along football lines. The Owls have struggled since joining the American Athletic Conference, making the NCAA Tournament only in 2016 and 2019. They have appeared in the NCAA tournament a total of 33 times, with a record of 33-33.

The Owls have long-standing rivalries with other Philadelphia colleges, including Villanova, Penn, Saint Joseph's, and La Salle. They are tied with Villanova for the most Big 5 titles, with 27. Other rivals include UMass, UConn, and Cincinnati, who were also members of the American Athletic Conference until their departures in 2020 and 2023, respectively.

shunwild

The Owls' performance in the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournaments

The Temple Owls men's basketball team represents Temple University in the sport. The Owls compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I as a member of the American Athletic Conference (AAC or The American). They play their home games in the Liacouras Center on the university's main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are currently led by head coach Adam Fisher.

The Owls are the sixth most successful NCAA Division I men's college basketball program of all time, with 2,000 wins. They won the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in 1938, the year before the NCAA Tournament began, and were thus the first-ever NIT champions. They also won the NIT in 1969. The Owls have appeared in the NCAA tournament 33 times, with a combined record of 33-33. They have never won the tournament and are one of four teams with over 30 appearances to have never reached the championship game. During the 1950s, the Temple basketball team made two NCAA Final Four appearances (1956, 1958) under head coach Harry Litwack.

The Owls received bids to the NCAA Tournament for six straight years under coach Fran Dunphy (2008–2013), winning just two games during that time. Since joining the AAC in 2013, the Owls have struggled, making the NCAA Tournament only in 2016 and 2019. Their performance in the 2024-25 season was also disappointing, finishing 10th in the AAC with a 16-20 record.

The Owls have had some success in other tournaments, winning the A-10 Tournament for three consecutive years (2008, 2009, 2010) under Dunphy. They have also had success in the NIT, appearing 19 times with a combined record of 23-17.

shunwild

The Owls' performance in the National Invitation Tournament

The Temple Owls men's basketball team represents Temple University in basketball. They compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I as part of the American Athletic Conference (AAC). The Owls have a rich history in college basketball and are considered the sixth-most successful NCAA Division I men's college basketball programme of all time, with 2,000 wins.

The Owls have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 19 times and have a combined record of 23-17. They won the inaugural NIT in 1938, which was also considered the national championship at the time, as it predated the NCAA tournament. The Owls defeated the Colorado Buffaloes to lift the trophy. The NIT was founded by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association and was originally played at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, with just six teams competing. The tournament expanded over the years, reaching 40 teams between 2002 and 2006.

The Owls won the NIT again in 1969. During the 1950s, the Temple basketball team made two NCAA Final Four appearances (1956, 1958) under head coach Harry Litwack, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

In recent years, the Owls have struggled to replicate their past successes. Despite appearing in the NCAA tournament over 30 times, they have never won it and are one of four teams to have never reached the championship game. Since joining the AAC in 2013, the Owls have only made the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and 2019.

shunwild

The Owls' head coaches through the years

The Temple Owls men's basketball team represents Temple University and plays in the American Athletic Conference. The Owls have had 18 head coaches in their history, including two Basketball Hall of Fame inductees – Harry Litwack and John Chaney.

Harry Litwack was the Owls' head coach for 21 seasons and is the school's second-winningest coach. Under Litwack, the Temple Owls made two NCAA Final Four appearances in 1956 and 1958. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame after concluding his coaching career with 373 wins.

John Chaney, a Hall of Fame inductee, won a total of 741 games in his career (with 312 losses). During his 24 seasons with the Owls, he took Temple to the NCAA tournament 17 times. His teams won the Atlantic 10 regular-season championship eight times and the A-10 Tournament six times. In the 1987–88 season, his Owls team entered the NCAA tournament ranked first in the country but lost in the Elite Eight to Duke. Chaney reached the Elite Eight five times and was named the consensus National Coach of the Year in 1988. He retired from coaching in 2006.

Fran Dunphy was the head coach of the Temple Owls from 2006 to 2019. The Owls received bids to the NCAA Tournament for six consecutive years under Dunphy (2008–2013). However, they only won a game in the Tournament twice during that period. After struggling in his first year, Dunphy led the Owls to victory in the A-10 Tournament for three straight years from 2008 to 2010.

Former Owls standout and then-assistant coach Aaron McKie took over from Dunphy in 2019 and is the current head coach of the Temple Owls men's basketball team.

shunwild

The Owls' rivals and notable players

The Temple Owls men's basketball team represents Temple University in the sport of basketball. The Owls compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I as a member of the American Athletic Conference (The American). The Owls have several rivals, including Villanova, Penn, Saint Joseph's, and La Salle. The rivalry between Temple and Villanova dates back to 1928, and the two schools are tied for the most Big 5 titles.

When Temple was in the A-10, the Owls' head coach John Chaney had a personal rivalry with UMass head coach John Calipari. Other rivals include UMass, UConn, and Cincinnati. Temple was in the American Athletic Conference with UConn and Cincinnati until their departures in 2020 and 2023, respectively.

The Owls have appeared in the NCAA tournament 33 times, with a record of 33-33. They have also appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 19 times, with a record of 23-17. The Owls were the first NIT champions in 1938 and won the tournament again in 1969.

Some notable players for the Owls include Mark Macon, Juan Ignacio Sanchez, Eddie Jones, Lavoy Allen, Aaron McKie, Tim Perry, and Mardy Collins, who have all gone on to play in the NBA. The Owls are led by head coach Adam Fisher.

The Temple Owls football team also has a long history, dating back to 1894. The team has had notable players and coaches over the years and has competed in several different conferences. The football team currently competes in the American Athletic Conference as well, representing Temple University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. They have had notable rivalries with Rutgers, Penn State, and Villanova.

Frequently asked questions

The Temple Owls men's basketball team plays in the American Athletic Conference (AAC).

Temple University joined the American Athletic Conference in 2013.

The Temple Owls play their home games in the Liacouras Center on the university's main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Written by
Reviewed by

Explore related products

Share this post
Print
Did this article help you?

Leave a comment