MIKE KERN Ing Arecordoverand Over.Like Daily News Staffwriter When We Won14inarow
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SPORTS | COLLEGE FOOTBALL ment),”saidanother person. “They wanttomakesureall the Owls to discuss i’s aredottedand the t’s crossed.” Temple pays the Eagles and un- campus stadium disclosed amount believedtobe in the millionsofdollars annually to playatLincoln Financial Field. EMPLE PLAYED its first The schoolrecently negotiated a football game in South Phil- MIKE two-year extension to continue Tly in 1974, three yearsafter playingthere through2019,with Veterans Stadiumopened. It KERN ano-penaltyprovisionifitwant- movedall of its homegamesthere [email protected] ed to getout of the dealearlier. e in 1976. But forthe longest time, Sourceshavesaidthe debtstruc- there’s beentalkaboutTemple turefor an on-campus alternative 3 building an on-campus facility The most obvious of which is the could,inthe longrun, provetobe withroughly halfthe capacity — projectedcost, which some fear roughly the sameaspaying rent. forany number of valid reasons. could end up being much higher. Temple used to be largely acom- From the timeNeil Theobald “There’s afiduciary responsibil- muter school. Thatischanging, tookoverasuniversitypresident ity,”one person said. “When you and could continuetoevolveeven in 2013, avenueonNorthBroad do somethingthisbig,it’sabig more. Thismovewouldonly fig- forthe Owls to calltheir ownhas stretch.” uretoenhance thatgrowingcam- beennear the top of his to-dolist. The plan involves securing mon- pus atmosphere. But what do you ey fornaming rights —some- And nowcomesthe news that do if Penn State or NotreDame thing thatwasn’tdone back in the wanttoplayhereagain and the suchaproject could be closer 1990s withthe basketballpro- thanit’severbeen to finallyget- Linc isn’t made available?Just an- gram’sLiacouras Center—in ad- other hangingquestion. tingagreen light. dition to fundingfromthe state. At its next scheduled meeting Morethanone person suggest- SourcessaidTheobald has been ed thatanequally pressingun- on Dec.8—whichisthree days af- meeting withpotentialdonors. ter the 21st-ranked Owls (7-0) known, whichmight go hand-in- Temple willalso have to deal handwithaddressingthe stadi- could be playingin, or evenhost- withthe cityand local residentsif ing,the inauguralAmerican Con- um situation, is whether Temple 15thStreet is going to have to be can getintoaPower-5conference ferencetitle game —the Boardof closed from Montgomery to Nor- Trustees willbepresentedwitha at somepoint.Suresoundsrele- ris Streetstomakeroom forthe vantenough, lookingahead. proposal fordiscussionona newstructure. Those people,bythe way, $100million,35,000-seatstadi- Beforethe Liacouras Center agreed it really is coincidental um to be constructed next to went up,Temple was forced to thatthisishappening when Tem- McGonigleHall from Broadto dealwithsimilar issuesthatheld ple is off to the beststart in pro- 16thStreet,whereaparking lot up the project. gram historyand about to playits and partofthe Geasey Fieldcom- Some have expressed surprise biggest game everonSaturday plexare currently located. thatithas taken Temple so long night against No.9 NotreDame Manyfeel it’sgoingtoget done. to gettothispoint.But theyadd (6-1) on national TV in front of Ye tintalkingwithpeoplewho thatTheobald,who has adoctor- 68,000. have beeninvolved foralongtime al degreeineducational finance, withthe Temple community,sev- was not preparedtomoveahead Still,itprobably doesn’thurt. eral expressed at least caution- withthisuntil he felt it had“cost ary concern thatcertain matters certainty.” needtoberesolved. “It’s an enormous(invest- t Page 54 PHILADELPHIA DAILYNEWS—Philly.comMonday, October26, 2015 SPORTS | COLLEGE FOOTBALL Hardin enjoys Owls’ success Retired coachthinks Temple could be in line to makehistory world. (It’s) sustainingit, break- BY MIKE KERN ing arecordoverand over.Like Daily News StaffWriter when we won14inarow. Nobody [email protected] even knewit. And whocares?But we cared. We did it over twosea- AYNE HARDIN’S last sons, so it wasn’tasgood as it seasonasTemple’s could have beenifwe’d doneit Wmostsuccessfulfootball starting out the season. But those coachwas 1982. The Owls fin- arerecords people needtolook ished 4-7, forthe second timein at.Thisisthe time.” three years. But in 1973-74,they The Owls are7-0 forthe first won14straight, as the program timeever. The lasttimetheywere was making the transition from even 6-0 was 1974. They’re playingthe Bucknellsand ranked 21stbythe Associated Xaviers of the food chain to a Press,inthe polls thisseasonfor moresteadydiet of Pitts and the first timesince’79.And Satur- West Virginias. And it was most- daynight at Lincoln Financial ly good. Field, they’llplayNo. 9Notre ASSOCIATED PRESS Especially 1979, when the Owls Dame(6-1) in what’s undoubtedly Wayne Hardin, whose teams setTemple recordswith14straight winsand 10 in aseason, is rootingfor went 10-2and beatfavored Cal in the most-hyped game everfor MattRhule’s Owls to breakthem. the Garden State Bowl, 28-17.It’s North BroadStreet. the onlytimeaTemple teamwon Hardin contacts Rhule regular- lier. “I was the headcoach six game.And someone said to me, he’dthinkofmeasapotential thatmanygames. ly,usually by email.Beforethe years, and we neverlost agame in ‘Wedon’t have to beatNotre coachatNotreDame.And he “That’s history,”saidHardin, opener against Penn State,he thatstadium. Ididn’tevenknow Dame.Just don’t getslaughtered said, ‘Wereally likepeople that still prettydarnedsharp at 88. toldRhule thiswas the daythey it. That’s exactly howlifegoes.I and youcan be hereforever.’And beatus.’ I’m in the HallofFame “Everything in lifeisthere to be were finallygoingbeatthe Nitta- hadnoidea. Iwas, like, ‘I’m not thatway.If because we beatteamswhen we broken. Ispent my lifebreaking ny Lions. And theydid, forthe “I was down forareunion, and we’regoing to playthem, we’re were the underdog.” records. ItoldMatt(Rhule) the first timesince 1941. the director of athleticstoldme going to beatthem.’ And we did TheOwls have beenthe under- samething (when he gotthe job). Whynot? that. Ithought he was kidding. (fivetimes from 1956-63). dogsthree times thisseason.Not He’s heretobreak records. “When Ifirst gotthe job at Na- There was no wayIknew. It “Afterwegot themacoupleof shockingly, they’renot favoredto That’s what recordsare there for. vy (in 1959),wehad the newstadi- wasn’tthe importantthing.Win- times,somebodyfromNotre beatthe Irish.Whateverhap- Go do it. um (Navy-Marine Corps Memori- ningwas ... Dameasked me if I’d ever pens, the Lincwillbepacked. “They’remaking it happen. It’s al),and we were the first onesin “I remember we were playing thought about coachingthere. Even if roughly halfthe crowdfig- not justhappening becauseit’s it,”recalledHardin,who had NotreDame,and Iwas trying to And Isaid,‘No sir,Ireallyhaven’t. ures to be wearinggreen,Hardin your time... Breakingarecord started there as an assistant un- do my homework, find some- I’m happy whereIam. I’vegot a is not the greatestthing in the der Eddie Erdelatz four yearsear- thing thatwould help us win the job to do.’ And Iasked him why See HARDIN Page 41 O, REALLY, whereelsedid youthink noon, will originatefromIndependence fans to the liveproduction, which ends with S ESPN’s“CollegeGameDay”pregame Mall. LeeCorso’s prediction, in which he puts on ESPN showwould possibly go Saturday? The only other time the showcame to headgearofthe team he’spicking to win. It prettymuch had to be here, with 21st- Philadelphia wasinNovember 2002,for Moredetails will be shared on ranked Te mple (7-0) playing No.9Notre Penn-Harvard. owlsports.comrelated to attending, loca- coming Dame (6-1) at Lincoln Financial Field on Hal- “(It’s) tremendous not only forTemple tion setup,creating signs and other activi- loween night in anationally televised game football, but forthe universityasawhole,as to town on ABC. And yesterday, the network finally well as the city,”said Dr.Patrick Kraft,direc- tiesastheybecome available. ¢ made it official. torofathletics. The show, which runs from 9a.m. until The showtypically attractsthousands of —MikeKern Page 42 PHILADELPHIA DAILYNEWS—Philly.comTuesday, October27, 2015 SPORTS | COLLEGE FOOTBALL nallycan, too. and theycloseNov.28atNo. 8 “I think, as coaches,you’re al- Stanford(6-1). They’restill think- Rhule: Players will be ways tryingtoeliminate distrac- ing playoffs. The Owls arejust try- tions,” Rhule said. “You know ing to provethe oddsmakers focused againstIrish what the futuregamescan be,but wrong one moretime. you’retryingtostick withthe “I’maday-to-day guy,” Rhule game at hand. Ithink they’rea said. “With each newopportuni- ever. prettyconfident group.Ithink BY MIKE KERN ty,wecan see exactlywherewe Thatwould, of course,beNo. 9 youget confidentwhen youwin. Daily News StaffWriter are. We don’t knowyet. Each NotreDame (6-1), Saturdaynight We’vebeen abletogoout and do [email protected] week gives us abetter stage.That at Lincoln Financial Field. Ameri- that. shows me we have the right kids ca undoubtedlyiswondering how “I think we’reagood team, fight- HE MOMENT. the 7-0Owls willhandle that. ing and scratching and clawingto here. Thisweek willbeinterest- It’ssomethingTemple Rhule thinks it willbethe same be agreat team. Likeany team, ing to see howwehandle all the TcoachMattRhule has waytheyhavedealt withwhatev- we’renot perfect.Our kidsplay (extra) attention.We’llsee if it’s talkedaboutall season. er has come before. together and believe in each oth- the right approach. The momentwasn’ttoo much “Ifweget too caughtupinev- er.All thatwillbetested.Every- “It’s good when youkeep seeing forhis Owls in the opener against