An announcement regarding Temple's return to the Big East could come as soon as Monday.

The school has given a verbal agreement to join league this fall, according to CBSSports.com. And the conference would like the announcement to come on the eve of the start of the Big East basketball tournament Tuesday.

Adding Temple would give the conference eight football schools for 2012 after West Virginia was permitted to enter the Big 12. The addition would help other teams in the league that were looking at playing six non-conference games this season.

Temple was a football member of the Big East from 1991-2004. The Owls didn't win more than four games during any of those 14 seasons before the conference cited poor attendance as the reason for removing the school.

Still left to be resolved is how Temple sorts out its departure from the Mid-American Conference for football. That league requires two years notice and a $2.5 million buyout. Temple also must sort out an exit from Atlantic 10 for other sports.

The logistics of doing both of those deals in time for this fall could see Temple leave the MAC for football and delay entry for all sports until 2013.

Both Big East commissioner John Marinatto and MAC commissioner John Steinbrecher declined comment to CBSSports.com.

Steinbrecher said last month he was aware of Temple having discussions with the Big East.

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