The American Conference announced its conference schedules for men’s and women’s basketball on Thursday.
Temple will enter its 13th season in the conference, tipping off its men’s regular season on Dec. 31 and ending on March 8. On the women’s side, the Owls start on Jan. 3 and will end conference play on March 7.
The men’s team will open on the road against Charlotte on New Year’s Eve before coming back to the Liacouras Center for a two-game home stand. It will play UTSA on Jan. 3 followed by East Carolina on Jan. 7. Memphis will host Temple on Jan. 14 in what will serve as a reunion game of sorts for former Temple guard Quante Berry.
» READ MORE: Here’s a look at nonconference matchups for Temple’s men’s and women’s hoops
The Owls’ game against the Tigers is the first of four against the top teams in the American Conference. Temple plays Tulane on the road on Feb. 11 and at home on March 4 and North Texas at home on Feb. 15.
Temple will host Charlotte at home on Jan. 28 following a Texas road trip where it plays Rice on Jan. 21 and UTSA on Jan 24. It also will stay at home against South Florida on Jan. 31 before traveling to play ECU again on Feb. 7
Temple rounds out its conference slate with Alabama-Birmingham on Feb. 18 at home and Wichita State on Feb. 21. The Owls play their regular season finale against Tulsa, who eliminated them in last season’s conference tournament, on March 8. The American tournament begins on March 11 in Birmingham and will features just the top 10 teams in the 13-team conference.
Temple women get early test
The women’s team gets its conference schedule underway at home against UTSA, the regular season conference champions last season, on Jan. 3. The Owls follow it up by immediately heading on the road for games against Wichita State on Jan. 6 and Tulsa on Jan. 9.
Temple will play the other three teams in the top four of the American last season four times. It has a home and home against South Florida on Jan. 20 and March 3. The Owls also take on North Texas on Feb. 7 at home and another matchup with UTSA on Feb. 10 on the road.
The Owls will also have a two-game series against Tulane on Jan. 13 at the Liacouras Center and then in New Orleans on Jan. 31. Charlotte will travel to North Philadelphia, hoping for revenge after Temple ended its season in last year’s conference tournament.
Rice will play Temple twice this season on Jan. 28 and Feb. 25. The Owls with be looking for a bit of payback as its been Rice who knocked them out of the tournament the last two seasons Temple will also host Memphis at home on Feb. 22 and end its conference slate on March 7 also at home against Florida Atlantic.
The women’s tournament for the American Conference begins March 10, and will also feature the conference’s top 10 teams.