PITTSBURGH – Fans will have plenty of opportunities to see the Dukes at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse this season according to the 2021-22 men's basketball nonconference schedule released today.
Duquesne will play six of its 13 nonconference games at its newly renovated on-campus facility, beginning with the season-opener vs. Rider on Tuesday, Nov. 9.
Rider is one of four first-time opponents on the schedule along with UC Irvine, Weber State and Wofford. UC Irvine, Weber State and Wofford all finished second in their respective conferences last season.
The Dukes, who will play their first full season at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse with a retooled roster that features seven newcomers, will take on American and Hofstra - both for the first time in 45 years - in addition to Bowling Green, DePaul, New Hampshire and Marshall in non-league play.
As announced previously, Duquesne will face Northeastern in the opening round of the Nov. 19-22 Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. DU will play either Colorado or Southern Illinois in round two, with Brown, Bradley, Colorado State or Creighton as a possible game three opponent.
The Dukes, who are 21-4 in nonconference home games under fifth-year head coach
Keith Dambrot, follow the Rider opener with home games vs. Hofstra and Weber State on Nov. 13 & 15 before departing for the Virgin Islands.
DU returns home to host American on Nov. 28 before taking on Bowling Green on Dec. 1. The BGSU game will be part of a doubleheader with the Duquesne women's team taking on Canisius in the opener.
Duquesne travels to Huntington, W.Va. for the first time since January of 1974 to take on Marshall in the first of back-to-back road games.
DU will then head to Chicago to face DePaul in a renewal of a 27-game series that was last contested in January of 1991. The Dukes and Blue Demons met for 14 consecutive years between 1964 and 1977.
The Dukes return home to play New Hampshire (Dec. 11) as part of another men's/women's doubleheader with the DU women facing Saint Francis U in the nightcap.
Duquesne will then head to Akron for a neutral-site game vs. UC Irvine. This will be the third time DU will visit LeBron James' I Promise School as part of its trip to the hometown of both James - who Dambrot coached at St. Vincent-St. Mary's High School - and Dambrot.
Duquesne completes the nonconference portion of the schedule at home vs. Wofford on Dec. 22.
As part of host responsibilities for the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship First and Second Round games, Duquesne will play one of its home games (to be announced) at PPG Paints Arena.
The complete 2021-22 Atlantic 10 Conference schedule will be released at a later date.
Fans may place season ticket deposits for the 16-game home schedule by
clicking here.
2021-22 SCHEDULE QUICK NOTES
- This will be Duquesne's first full season at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. DU played a pair of Atlantic 10 games (wins over Dayton and Rhode Island) in front of a limited crowd at its new on campus home last February.
- Duquesne enters the 2021-22 season having won 21 of 25 nonconference home games under fifth-year head coach Keith Dambrot. Overall, the Dukes are 29-11 overall in non-league play under Dambrot.
- Dambrot, who is entering his 24th season, will be facing seven first-time opponents in DePaul, Hofstra, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Rider, Weber State and Wofford. Dambrot is 36-6 all-time against the remaining teams on the nonconference schedule.
- Duquesne is guaranteed to face teams from 10 conferences in non-league play: America East (New Hampshire), Big East (DePaul), Big Sky (Weber State), Big West (UC Irvine), Colonial (Hofstra & Northeastern), Conference USA (Marshall), Metro Atlantic (Rider), Mid-American (Bowling Green), Patriot (Loyola Maryland) and Southern (Wofford). In addition, DU could face programs from the Pac-12 (Colorado), Missouri Valley (Southern Illinois & Bradley), Ivy (Brown), Mountain West (Colorado State) and Big East (Creighton) in the Paradise Jam.
- DU will play four first-time opponents in Rider, UC Irvine, Weber State and Wofford.
- As part of host responsibilities for the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship First and Second Round games, Duquesne will play one of its home games (TBD) at PPG Paints Arena.
DUQUESNE'S NONCONFERENCE OPPONENTS LAST SEASON
| SCHOOL |
W-L |
CONFERENCE |
W-L / FINISH |
SERIES |
LAST |
| American |
4-6 |
Patriot |
4-5 / 2nd South |
18-2 |
Dec. 18, 1976 |
| Bowling Green |
14-12 |
Mid-American |
10-8 / 6th |
17-9 |
Dec. 28, 2011 |
| DePaul |
5-14 |
Big East |
2-13 / 11th |
13-14 |
Jan. 26, 1991 |
| Hofstra |
13-10 |
Colonial |
8-6 / 4th |
0-1 |
Dec. 10, 1976 |
| Marshall |
15-7 |
Conference USA |
9-5 / 3rd West |
4-2 |
Dec. 29, 2019 |
| New Hampshire |
10-9 |
America East |
9-6 / 3rd |
0-1 |
Nov. 13, 2013 |
| Rider |
6-17 |
Metro Atlantic |
5-13 / 11th |
---- |
First Meeting |
| UC Irvine |
18-9 |
Big West |
10-4 / 2nd |
---- |
First Meeting |
| Weber State |
17-6 |
Big Sky |
12-3 / T2nd |
---- |
First Meeting |
| Wofford |
15-9 |
Southern |
12-5 / 2nd |
---- |
First Meeting |
| PARADISE JAM FIELD* |
|
|
|
|
|
| Northeastern |
10-9 |
Colonial |
8-2 / T1st |
1-1 |
Nov. 23, 1999 |
| Colorado |
23-9 |
Pac-12 |
14-6 / 3rd |
1-1 |
Mar. 15, 1940 |
| or Southern Illinois |
12-14 |
Missouri Valley |
5-13 / 9th |
0-1 |
Dec. 23, 2017 |
| Bradley |
12-16 |
Missouri Valley |
6-12 / 8th |
5-2 |
Mar. 4, 1963 |
| Brown |
DNP |
Ivy |
---- |
---- |
First Meeting |
| Colorado State |
20-8 |
Mountain West |
14-4 / 3rd |
1-0 |
Dec. 17, 1964 |
| Creighton |
22-9 |
Big East |
14-6 / 2nd |
5-3 |
Feb. 2, 1974 |
* - Duquesne will open the Paradise Jam against Northeastern, then will play either Colorado or Southern Illinois; DU's game three opponent will be either Bradley, Brown, Colorado State or Creighton.
