Temple University announced during a Tuesday press conference that the school has accepted an invitation for its football program to join the Mid-American Conference. The move will begin in 2005, with Temple adding a home game against Western Michigan to increase its total to four MAC opponents for the upcoming season. Last year, the Owls faced two teams from the MAC and lost both games. They were defeated 45-17 at Toledo and then suffered an embarrassing 70-16 setback at home to Bowling Green. In addition to rematches this year against the Rockets and Falcons, Temple is also scheduled to play Miami-Ohio. The Owls will then play a six-game conference schedule in 2006 and a full eight-game slate, with eligibility to compete for the MAC championship, in 2007. Temple will be eligible for one of the conference's two bowl bids in 2005 and 2006. "Temple University is honored and excited to have been invited to join the Mid-American Conference," said school president David Adamany. "The MAC is a perfect fit for Temple University, both on and off the field of competition. Besides fielding quality football teams, as evidenced by last year's record number of bowl bids, the MAC is the leader among Division I-A conferences in terms of graduating its student-athletes in the sport of football. "That combination of academic and athletic excellence is also part of Temple's mission." Temple joins 12 existing members of the Mid-American Conference. The Owls will be part of the league's East Division, which is comprised of Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami-Ohio and Ohio University. The West Division includes Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo and Western Michigan. "It has been a long time since all of the ingredients were in place for Temple football to be successful," said director of athletics Bill Bradshaw. "We have the best home field in the nation with Lincoln Financial Field, a state-of- the-art practice facility in Edberg-Olson Hall and Chodoff Field, and now we finally have a true home for our team in the MAC." The Owls, who posted a 2-9 mark in 2004, were kicked out of the Big East Conference after this past season for failing to meet minimum requirements for membership. An original member of the Big East Football Conference, Temple managed just 14 wins in its 14 years in the league. The Owls' poor attendance mark, as well as its failure to field a competitive team, led to the conference's decision to dismiss the program. "On behalf of the Mid-American Conference council of presidents, I am honored to extend this invitation for football membership in the MAC to Temple University," said MAC commissioner Rick Chryst. "We are a proud and historic football conference, one that is presently enjoying unprecedented competitive success, and we are thrilled that time and circumstance has created this opportunity for Temple and the MAC." Temple last had a winning season in 1990 and has not played in a bowl game since 1979.