Duquesne Basketball
AD Lyke: Duquesne Didn’t Fit in Pitt’s ‘Scheduling Model’
Pitt chose not to schedule Duquesne in the 2020-21 season because the game did not fit into the school’s “non-ACC scheduling model,” athletic director Heather Lyke said in a press release on Thursday.
Lyke did not elaborate on what Pitt’s scheduling model has in place of the City Game, or why the Dukes no longer fit into Pitt’s plans, after having pledged to play them this season back in 2019.
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“Coach Capel and I regularly discuss non-conference scheduling and how to balance it against 20 ACC games, the ACC-Big Ten Challenge as well as special opportunities like this year’s Myrtle Beach Invitational,” Lyke said. “A game with Duquesne this season did not fit with our non-ACC scheduling model.”
Lyke also bore responsibility for the game not being played in 2019, citing “scheduling dynamics.” She then made an agreement in principle to play the game in 2020 and 2021 in a joint statement with Duquesne athletic director Dave Harper, an agreement which has apparently nearly completely resolved.
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Harper said in a statement earlier on Thursday that Pitt had rebuffed attempts to play in 2020 and 2021 at PPG Paints Arena and also to play in 2020 at Petersen Events Schedule, with Duquesne getting nothing in return.
Pitt has proposed a game at the Pete in 2021, a proposal that Duquesne has not yet responded to.
“We have provided Duquesne with a game contract to play at the Petersen Events Center during the 2021-22 season and we are awaiting their response to our offer to play,” Lyke said.
