Duquesne Dukes Fan Forum / 2019 Schedule

**Posted by coffee** 3/10/2019 3:23 pm

Scheduling thoughts...

So far, this is what is know:
2019
09/14 - at Youngstown State
09/28 - at New Hampshire

Any other word yet? Do we play the new NEC teams next year (LIU and Merrimack)? Bryant's schedule is out and both are on theirs. These may prevent us from scheduling up as much as we have recently. Dave Harper should look at some other A-10 rivals in addition to Dayton like Fordham, RI, Richmond, and Davidson.

I loved our OCC schedule last year with Dayton, Mass and Hawaii. It set us up well to win the conference and the first round game at Towson.

Last edited by coffee (3/10/2019 7:36 pm)

**Posted by yak-rbc** 3/11/2019 1:52 pm

The LIU team (a merger of non-football member LIU Brooklyn and D2 branch campus LIU Post with an existing football team) will compete next season, to the best of my knowledge and will probably be on the schedule.

Merrimack, as a true D2 to D1 re-classification, will not be a full member until 2023. If I understand the process correctly, they do not have to have a D1-compliant schedule until 2020. I'd be quite surprised if they were on the schedule next season.

**Posted by yak-rbc** 3/11/2019 1:58 pm

OK so someone at some point announced a few of their games or at least FBS schedules has the info.

Merrimack will be away at Lehigh, at Rhode Island, and at CCSU. They will also host Bryant.

LIU will be away at Bryant and Villanova (only 2 games known)

It kinda seems that Merrimack actually might be on the schedule then?

Bryant will host Duquesne on November 16th

Last edited by yak-rbc (3/11/2019 2:01 pm)

**Posted by A83** 3/11/2019 5:01 pm

From what the NEC commissioner said in on NEC ESPN+ broadcast at the time is that LIU will be a full member next year. And that Merrimack will be In the future. I believe she did say 2023. She said they will try and schedule NEC teams while adding scholarships. I’m not sure if that has changed because I have seen a similar question on the RMC board.

I wonder if RMC joins another conference for basketball (often rumored Horizon move), if the NEC kicks them out for football. They did this to Monmouth. I thinks it’s silly to kick them out for football. But the NEC doesn’t seem to take kindly to full members leaving.

The addition of two teams leads me to believe they expect another school to drop.

Last edited by A83 (3/11/2019 5:04 pm)

**Posted by A83** 3/11/2019 5:21 pm

Merrimack is probably following the same path as Bryant did with football and becoming D1. Bryant played two full years in NEC (2010 and 2011) but they were not eligible to win the conference title. They were not granted D1 status until 2012. In 10 and 11, games against Bryant counted in conference standings since they played all the schools. An asterisk was always listed by Bryant’s name that said “Not eligible for conference title.”

Last edited by A83 (3/11/2019 5:22 pm)

**Posted by coffee** 3/16/2019 8:38 am

Two more games are penciled in-

09/21- at Dayton
11/16- at Bryant

To go with those already announced:

09/14 - at Youngstown State
09/28 - at New Hampshire

Looks like more away games next year than home games. Teams like Youngstown State and New Hampshire will never play at Rooney. Maybe we can get these teams to come to Pittsburgh if we offer an away/home/away series played at Highmark Stadium. Youngstown State fans may like the trip in the middle of two home games for them.

Dayton is always a great rivalry game. There is no reason whatsoever not to be playing other A10 like Fordham, Richmond, Davidson, and R.I. too.

There really should be an A10 Football Conference. George Mason and VCU both field club teams that could step up as we did. VCU is a huge school and could easily field a team and has taked about it making 8 with other associate possibilities. The A10 League would have a better TV contract possibility.

What would you rather see as a local football fan, VCU or Rhode Island at Highmark or Merrimack at Rooney?

Gotta strategically schedule the games here when Pitt is away to get coverage.

...AND get an FM radio affiate for both basketball teams and football- preferably a sports or general interest station that isn't a far left or far right propaganda machine that 2/3 of the listeners turn off after the game.

Last edited by coffee (3/16/2019 9:21 am)