The Owls football team participates in the NCAA 's Football Bowl Subdivision , but because the A-10 supported football only at the Football Championship Subdivision level ( 1997 – 2006 ) , they maintained separate league affiliation for football . They were a member of the Big East Conference until their expulsion after the 2004 season due to a variety of program shortcomings ; they played a limited Mid-American Conference schedule in 2005 and 2006 before becoming a completely affiliated football-only member and playing a full 8-game MAC league schedule in 2007 . In December 2005 , Al Golden , the defensive coordinator for the University of Virginia , was named head coach , replaced Bobby Wallace . He would accumulate a 27 – 34 record before moving to the Miami ( FL ) . With the improvement to Temple 's football program , the school was invited to rejoin the Big East Conference as an associate member for football for 2012 and as a full member for all sports in 2013 . By the time Temple returned to full membership , the Big East had split along football lines into a new , non-football Big East Conference and the football-sponsoring American Athletic Conference , with Temple joining The American . On December 23 , 2010 , Steve Addazio , then offensive coordinator at the University of Florida , was named head coach to continue and build upon the foundation Golden had left
Big East Conference
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
Temple Owls