Temple football will join the Big East for the 2012 season, while all other sports will be added for the 2013 season, multiple sources have confirmed.

The Owls will give the Big East eight football teams, along with Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Louisville, Rutgers, Cincinnati and South Florida, for the 2012 season.

Temple was a founding member of Big East football in 1991 before being booted out of the conference in 2004 for a lack of university support. Since then, the Owls have turned the program around with the help from coaches Al Golden and Steve Addazio, who have guided Temple to two bowl games and a bowl victory since Temple got kicked out.

Boise State and San Diego State will join the conference as football-only members for the 2013-14 season, while Houston, Memphis, SMU and UCF will be added as all-sports members. Navy will join for football only in 2015.

If Pittsburgh and Syracuse, which have already negotiated exits to the Atlantic Coast Conference, cannot leave the Big East prior to the 2013 season, the conference would have 14 football schools and 20 basketball schools during that year.

Men’s basketball coach Fran Dunphy was named the Atlantic Ten Conference Coach of the Year, while guards, redshirt-senior Ramone Moore, senior Juan Fernandez and junior Khalif Wyatt also earned conference honors on Monday.

This is Dunphy’s second Coach of the Year award since becoming Temple’s head coach in 2006. He led the Owls to their first outright A-10 regular season title since 1989-90 this season and a 24-6 record overall while missing starting senior forward Scootie Randall for the entire season and graduate center Micheal Eric for 13 games.

“I appreciate the vote of confidence by our fellow coaches,” Dunphy said in a teleconference call Monday. “They did not have to do that, and I appreciate it. I’m grateful for that. It’s just a stroke of good luck. We have some good players and the kids did a nice job. Obviously it’s never the head coach, it’s the players and the assistant coaches doing all the work and we take the lead. Certainly you can’t do anything without good people around you, but I appreciate the respect from the coaches in the league.”

Moore was beat out by St. Bonaventure senior forward Andrew Nicholson for A-10 Player of the Year, but was named to the A-10 First Team All-Conference. Wyatt was named to Second Team All-Conference, while Fernandez was named Third Team All-Conference and to the All Academic Team.

“It’s meaningful stuff for these kids and I appreciate the time that the coaches spend on this,” Dunphy said. “It’s terrific, we’re appreciative of how tough this league is and how many great programs and how many great players are in it.”

Moore averaged 17.8 points per game, good for first on the team and second in the conference, in his final season at Temple. Wyatt ranked third in the A-10 in scoring with 17.1 points per game, and fourth in steals per game (2.1) and free-throw percentage (.849). Fernandez led the Owls in assists per game (3.8) while averaging 11.4 points per game and maintaining a grade-point average of 3.08.

Here’s a complete list of the A-10 end-of-the-year awards.

Coach of the Year

Fran Dunphy, Temple

Player of the Year

Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure

Defensive Player of the Year

C.J. Aiken, Saint Joseph’s

Rookie of the Year

Kendall Anthony, Richmond

Sixth Man of the Year

Ronald Roberts, Saint Joseph’s

Chris Daniels Most Improved Player

Earl Pettis, La Salle

All-Academic Team

Luke Fabrizius, Dayton
Nemanja Mikic, George Washington
Brian Conklin, Saint Louis
Kyle Cassity, Saint Louis
Juan Fernandez, Temple

First Team All-Conference

Chaz Williams, Massachusetts
Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure
Brian Conklin, Saint Louis
Ramone Moore, Temple
Tu Holloway, Xavier

Second Team All-Conference

Kevin Dillard, Dayton
Chris Gaston, Fordham
Ramon Galloway, La Salle
Langston Galloway, Saint Joseph’s
Khalif Wyatt, Temple

Third Team All-Conference

Chris Braswell, Charlotte
T.J. McConnell, Duquesne
Kwamain Mitchell, Saint Louis
Juan Fernandez, Temple
Mark Lyons, Xavier

All-Conference Honorable Mention

Chris Johnson, Dayton
Earl Pettis, La Salle
Carl Jones, Saint Joseph’s
Halil Kanacevic, Saint Joseph’s

All-Defensive Team

T.J. McConnell, Duquesne
Darrius Garrett, Richmond
Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure
C.J. Aiken, Saint Joseph’s
Jordair Jett, Saint Louis

All-Rookie Team

Pierria Henry, Charlotte
Jerrell Wright, La Salle
Jonathan Holton, Rhode Island
Kendall Anthony, Richmond
Dezmine Wells, Xavier

Temple does not expect to make any kind of announcement on its future with the Big East today, according to Assistant Vice President of University Communications Ray Betzner.

Multiple sources reported that Temple could announce that it would join the conference as at least a football member for the 2012 season, with the option of adding all other sports for 2013, before the Big East men’s basketball tournament starts on Tuesday.

Betzner said the university does not expect anything definitive to come out today.

The Big East will meet on Wednesday to discuss its future with football and possibly vote on Temple’s all-sports membership. The conference targeted the university to fill the spot as the eighth football team for the 2012 season after West Virginia negotiated an early exit from the Big East, effective this upcoming year.

The executive committee of Temple’s board of trustees met last Wednesday, Feb. 29, to “discuss contracts,” according to Betzner after an athletics committee meeting was canceled.

Betzner couldn’t specify as to what was accomplished by the meeting, but multiple media outlets reported that Temple and the Big East had reached a verbal agreement two days later.

The contracts that were discussed last week could have been the legal issues that have to be worked out among Temple, the Mid-American Conference and the Atlantic Ten Conference.

Temple plays football in the MAC and all other sports, save gymnastics, in the A-10. To leave the MAC with less than a year’s notice would cost the university at least $2.5 million. If Temple were to join the Big East for all sports next season, the exit fee would be $2 million for the A-10.

If Temple has negotiated those contracts and the Big East members vote on the university’s membership Wednesday, a definitive announcement on Temple’s future with the conference could come this week.

The Temple Board of Trustees athletics committee meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. today that was reportedly going to include discussions about adding Temple as an all-sports member to the Big East, effective the Fall 2012 season, has been canceled.

Assistant Vice President of University Communications Ray Betzner said there was no stated reason for canceling the Athletics Committee meeting, but the executive committee of the board of trustees will meet at 2 p.m. to “discuss contracts.”

Temple has a lot of contractual work to go through before the Owls can leave the Mid-American Conference for football and the Atlantic Ten Conference for all other sports.

If the Owls were to join the Big East immediately, Temple would have to pay $2 million to leave the A-10 with less than a year’s notice and at least a $2.5 million exit fee from the MAC.

The Big East desperately needs an eighth team for football in 2012 after West Virginia made an early exit for the Big 12. After Boise State couldn’t pay its exit fee to leave the Mountain West Conference and Western Athletic Conference a year early, the Big East turned its attention to Temple.

The Owls would give the Big East its crucial eighth team for football for the 2012 season and improve the conference’s basketball profile immediately while filling in as the 16th team.

Though initial reports stated that a decision on Temple’s future could be made before the end of February, Betzner said the university does not expect an announcement or movement of any kind today.

Temple and the Big East are in talks to have the school join the conference for all sports as early as next school year, according to a report by The New York Times.

Temple, which currently plays football in the Mid-American Conference and all other sports in the Atlantic Ten Conference, was a founding member of Big East football before being booted from the conference in 2004.

Temple would have to solve certain legal matters before formally leaving the MAC and A-10. The Owls have also been asked to join the Conference USA/Mountain West Conference merger for football.

A decision on Temple’s addition is expected by the end of February.

The men’s basketball team was ranked No. 22 in the country by both the Associated Press and the USA Today/Coaches’ Poll on Monday.

Temple (21-5, 10-2 Atlantic Ten Conference) has won 10 games in a row and are in first place in the A-10. The Owls have won nine conference games in a row after losing two of their first three.

“It’s great that people have respect for your program,” coach Fran Dunphy said. “But tell me where we are on April 4. If we’re in the Top 25 then, then i’d say we had a very successful season. We still have a long way to go yet.”

The Owls are led by the A-10’s leading scorer, redshirt-senior guard Ramone Moore, who averages 18.2 points per game. Junior guard Khalif Wyatt is third in the A-10 in scoring, averaging 17 points per game.

This is the first time all season that Temple has been ranked in the Top 25.

Women’s basketball vs. Massachusetts: 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Liacouras Center

Entering tonight’s game with an eight-game winning, the Owls (15-8, 8-1 A-10) will face a Massachusetts team that is 6-18 overall and 1-8 in the conference. The game is designated as a Play 4Kay game, which raises awareness for breast cancer in memory of the late North Carolina State coach Kay Yow.

TTN KATE McCANN Senior guard Shey Peddy.

The overall series belongs to the Owls as they have won 29 out of 48 meetings, while winning 10 of the last 11 games.

The Owls’ offense has improved as of late and it’s being led by senior guard Shey Peddy, who averages 16.7 points per game. In Temple’s latest victory against Saint Louis (8-16, 2-7 A-10), 65-50, on Wednesday, senior guard BJ Williams led the Owls on the road scoring a season-high 21 points.

In the same contest against the Billikens, freshman guard Rateska Brown scored a career-high 12 points and junior forward Victoria Macaulay recorded a double-double of 10 points and a career-tying 13 rebounds. Peddy had nine points in the game and added a game-high four steals.

The Owls are ranked 43rd in the RPI of 342 teams.

Massachusetts’ junior forward Shakia Robinson leads the Minutewomen in scoring this season with 12.4 points per game. Junior center Jasmine Watson, who stands at 6 feet 3 inches, owns an average of 12 points and a team-leading 7.8 rebounds per game.

The Minutewomen enter tonight’s game with a seven-game losing streak.

Men’s basketball vs. Xavier: 9 p.m. Saturday at Liacouras Center. ESPN2.

The nightcap against the Xavier Musketeers will decide whether Temple will share its first-place standing with the visitors. The Musketeers (16-8, 7-3 A-10) enter the game having won seven of their last 10 games, including a close loss to the Memphis Tigers, 72-68, last Saturday.

TTN LESLIE FRAZIER Senior Guard Ramone Moore.

Tonight’s game will be a white-out, as fans will receive white T-shirts to wear on a first-come, first-serve basis before the game. The overall series between the two teams is led by the Owls, 12-10, with Xavier winning the last meeting 88-77 at Cincinnati on Jan. 22, 2011.

The Owls (18-5, 7-2 A-10) are led by senior guard Ramone Moore who leads all scorers in the conference with 18.3 points per game. Moore has scored in double figures in all but one game this season. The Owls own a .401 three-point percentage, which is second in the conference, behind La Salle.

Xavier’s senior guard Tu Holloway leads the team in scoring with 16.3 points and 5.8 assists per game. The team is first in the conference in overall field-goal percentage defense (.391) and second in three-point field goal percentage defense (.302).

Temple defeated Atlantic Ten Conference opponent Rhode Island 73-56 on Saturday afternoon to improve its in-conference record to 6-2, good for first place in the A-10.

The Owls were led in scoring again by redshirt-senior guard Ramone Moore. Moore scored 22 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists. Moore has scored a combined 68 points in his last three games and has led Temple in scoring in five consecutive games.

Temple entered the day one back in the loss column to La Salle in the A-10, but Saint Joseph’s defeat of the Explorers early Saturday, partnered with the Owls’ win, has Temple sitting alone at the top of the A-10 for the first time all season.

After losing two of their first three A-10 games, the Owls have won five consecutive games in conference.