PITTSBURGH -- The Duquesne University football team has announced an updated 2024 schedule in conjunction with the
Northeast Conference's announcement on April 19.
The home game on November 2 will now be played against the NEC's newest member, Mercyhurst University, who joined the league earlier this month.
The Dukes remain with 11 games on the slate and five games at Rooney Field. Sacred Heart will no longer be an opponent in 2024.
Duquesne opens the season with three straight road games, its longest away stretch to start a campaign since 2017.
The 2024 season begins at FBS opponents Toledo on Thursday, August 29 and Boston College on Saturday, September 7. The season-opening road trip concludes at Youngstown State on September 14.
Toledo and Boston College will be the 10th and 11th FBS opponents in program history and it will be the fifth season with two FBS foes on the schedule (2018, '21, '22, '23). It is the second time in program history that DU will start a season against consecutive FBS teams, the only other time was in 2021 when the Dukes dropped an opener at TCU before downing Ohio, 28-26, the only FBS win ever by an NEC program.
The home opener is scheduled for September 21 against West Virginia Wesleyan, a Division II member of the Mountain East Conference.
NEC title defense will begin at Rooney Field on October 5 against LIU. Duquesne won't be back home again until three straight in November, as a pair of road trips to Saint Francis (October 12) and Stonehill (October 26) are middled with a bye week.
The Nov. 2 game against Mercyhurst will be the first meeting between the sides since Oct. 23, 1993 when the Lakers and Dukes played the first football game ever on Rooney Field. It marked the first time football was played on the Bluff since 1929.
The renewed NEC rivalry with nearby Robert Morris will be hosted at Rooney Field on November 9, as both teams race for a coveted seventh NEC championship.
The home slate wraps up on November 16 hosting Wagner, while the regular season concludes on November 23 at Central Connecticut State.
FCS Playoffs are scheduled once again to commence over Thanksgiving weekend on November 30.
Duquesne (7-5, 6-1 NEC) made its third appearance in the FCS playoffs in 2023 after winning its sixth NEC championship. The Dukes have won back-to-back titles once before as an NEC member (2015 and 2016-co).
2024 DUQUESNE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date |
Opponent |
Series History |
Last Meeting |
| Aug. 29 (Thu) |
at Toledo |
First meeting |
|
| Sept. 7 (Sat) |
at Boston College |
First meeting |
|
| Sept. 14 (Sat) |
at Youngstown State |
YSU leads 6-0 |
40-7 road loss in 2023 FCS Playoffs |
| Sept. 21 (Sat) |
vs. West Virginia Wesleyan |
DUQ leads 7-4 |
38-13 home win in 2017 |
| Oct. 5 (Sat) |
vs. LIU* |
DUQ leads 4-1 |
31-28 road win in 2023 |
| Oct. 12 (Sat) |
at Saint Francis (PA)* |
DUQ leads 39-10 |
38-35 home win in 2023 |
| Oct. 26 (Sat) |
at Stonehill* |
STON leads 2-0 |
28-33 home loss in 2023 |
| Nov. 2 (Sat) |
vs. Mercyhurst |
MERCY leads 7-1-1 |
24-7 home loss in 1993 |
| Nov. 9 (Sat) |
vs. Robert Morris* |
DUQ leads 13-8 |
41-21 road loss in 2019 |
| Nov. 16 (Sat) |
vs. Wagner* |
DUQ leads 14-5 |
34-26 road win in 2023 |
| Nov. 23 (Sat) |
at Central Connecticut State* |
DUQ leads 9-7 |
44-20 home win in 2023 |
*NEC game
DUQ OVERALL RECORD VS. 2024 OPPONENTS: 87-50-1
SCHEDULE EDIT
Originally published on January 30, 2024, this story has been updated to reflect two schedule changes ... The Nov. 2 home game originally announced vs. Sacred Heart has been updated to a conference matchup against Mercyhurst, who joined the NEC in early April ... The Toledo game will now be played on August 29, not August 31.
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