PHILADELPHIA – After more than 10 years since their last meeting, St. Bonaventure and Temple will renew their regional rivalry on Dec. 12 when the programs square off at The Palestra in Philadelphia.
Tip time and broadcast details will also be announced at a later date. Tickets for the December contest will be on sale in the coming weeks through the St. Bonaventure Ticket Office. For more information call 716-375-2500.
Mike MacDonald returns to his alma mater as the 20th head coach in program history. He spent the last 12 years at Daemen University, winning 265 games, three conference regular season titles, two conference tournament championships and two NCAA Division II East Regional championships. Three former Daemen standouts, including 2026 All-American Zach Philipkoski and 2025 All-American Benjamin Bill, join MacDonald on the 2026-27 Bonnies roster that will also feature former All-American East second-team honoree Ari Fulton. Other high-major transfers include Mason Blackwell and Akbar Waheed III that will join a roster led by 2025-26 sixth man Joe Grahovac, who averaged nearly 20 minutes per game last season.
"We are excited for the opportunity to play at The Palestra during its 100th Anniversary season," MacDonald said. "The Palestra is one of the most iconic venues in college basketball, and the opportunity to take on the Temple Owls, a longtime Bonnie rival, makes this game even more special. We can't wait to see the Bona faithful pack The Palestra in December!"
Temple head coach Adam Fisher begins his fourth season with the program, which aims to continue its climb in the American Conference standings this season. The Owls have finished with a combined 19 league wins the last two seasons after reaching The American conference tournament title game in his first season. The Owls will rely heavily on an incoming transfer class of eight newcomers, including high major transfers Deuce Drake, Jordan Marsh, Cam Scott and Dez White, in addition to returning starter Gavin Griffiths, who was the team's fourth-leading scorer at 10.1 points per game and leader in rebounds (4.8 rpg), 3-pointers made (59) and blocks (54) last season.
"We are excited to face St. Bonaventure as part of the Palestra's 100th anniversary celebration," Fisher said. "Both programs have proud basketball traditions, and the opportunity to compete in a venue that means so much to college basketball and the city of Philadelphia makes this a special matchup."
This will be the first meeting since the 2012-13 season, the final year that Temple participated in the A-10 Conference. The Owls have owned the all-time series against St. Bonaventure, 53-7, but the Bonnies claimed the last meeting between the programs on Jan. 19, 2013. This will be the fourth all-time meeting between the two schools at The Palestra; Temple is 3-0 in those meetings, with the last coming on Feb. 11, 1984.
For more information on the event and to receive email alerts regarding future event news, follow Intersport Basketball on Twitter (X) and Instagram at @IntersportHoops.
About Intersport
Intersport is an award-winning agency that fills the empty space between marketing campaigns and consumers—helping brands make more meaningful connections. Its industry-leading team offers expert insights in content marketing, experiential marketing, hospitality, partnership consulting and platform development. The Chicago-based agency also owns and operates events across the professional and collegiate sports landscape, including basketball, football, golf, pickleball and volleyball. Intersport has been headquartered in Chicago since its inception in 1985 and has an additional office in Detroit. Learn more at www.intersport.global and on social media (LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook).
------
For the latest news on St. Bonaventure athletics, stay connected on social media. Follow the Bonnies on X @GoBonnies and get men's basketball updates @BonniesMBB. Keep up with the Bonnies on Facebook /GoBonnies and on Instagram @GoBonnies. Bonnies Men's Basketball can be found on Instagram @bonnies_mbb.
