What does college sports realignment chaos mean for Temple?

In times of college sports realignment chaos, there is always one important question around here.

Is there a place for Temple?

It’s a relevant question since, beyond wins and losses, the Owls matter. As a civic institution, Temple matters in Philadelphia.

Also, Temple is in the wrong conference. This year’s football schedule is a good one, just not the right one. The American Athletic Conference is a strong football league, usually the best of what came to be known as the Group of 5 conferences for football, even after the Big 12 poached a bunch of AAC schools.

Now, however, the Power 2 has fully taken charge and everyone left out is wondering (or should be) if big-time football can be taken out of the NCAA equation entirely.

» READ MORE: The Power 5 turned out to be a mirage

Once the Atlantic Coast Conference narrowly passed on adding Stanford and California, reports have it that AAC commissioner Mike Aresco (smartly) began talks with the Pac-Left-Behind-4, seeing if the AAC could make a deal to create another truly national league.

So far, the tea leaves suggest that would be an upset, just as the Big 12 previously passed on a merger with the AAC. Why take everyone if you can poach the most valuable schools? Right now, we could be watching a 2.0 version of that.

Could this current situation help or hurt Temple?

“Can’t help,” one longtime college administrator observed when asked that question.

I’m not as sure, thinking longer-term. Temple should be rooting for complete chaos, which is pretty close to what we’re getting. If the Pac-Left-Behind-4 (including Oregon State and Washington State) decides to try a fix bringing in some AAC combo like Tulane-Memphis-SMU-Rice to go with adding more West Coast schools, it doesn’t change what Temple should really be hoping for: the ACC to fall apart just as the Pac-12 has.

Even if Temple is included in some marriage with West Coast schools, it’s only a short-term fix, with no real rivals for the Owls.

The better-case scenario isn’t happening yet, but if the Big Ten grabs a few ACC schools and the Southeastern Conference does the same, the remaining schools will be in scramble mode and the opportunity for Temple becomes real.

A true East Coast league could re-form and desire a Philadelphia outpost. Logic actually could prevail, as Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Boston College, among others, could see value in a league that includes Temple.

This isn’t a prediction, more a hope, maybe more like drawing an inside straight with one winning card left in the deck. Villanova got lucky and found the right arrangement in the current Big East. To these parochial eyes, Temple belongs with these other schools. Any merger that includes the West Coast, born of desperation, is destined to be short-term.

An East Coast league might have a shot at being something more lasting, whatever that means amid this ongoing craziness.

For Temple, the reality is that the Owls should root for more chaos, not less.

» READ MORE: Stan Drayton enters second season as Temple’s football coach with lessons learned