On Wednesday, the NEC released the 2021 football schedules for all eight of its teams, including Duquesne. The Dukes’ 12-week regular season features two FBS opponents to start the year and a full slate of conference match ups for the first time since 2019.
Schedule
Week 1 – at TCU on Sept. 4
Week 2 – at Ohio on Sept. 11
Week 3 – BYE
Week 4 – vs. Virginia Lynchburg on Sept. 25
Week 5 – at Merrimack on Oct. 2
Week 6 – vs. Bryant on Oct. 9
Week 7 – BYE
Week 8 – at Sacred Heart on Oct. 23
Week 9 – vs. Saint Francis on Oct. 30
Week 10 – at LIU on Nov. 6
Week 11 – vs. Central Connecticut on Nov. 13
Week 12 – at Wagner on Nov. 20
Notable Matchups
In Week 1, the Dukes will play TCU, their first FBS opponent since 2018 when they took on Hawaii. It will be the school’s first Power 5 opponent since rejoining the FCS in 1992.
In Week 2, Duquesne will head to the road to face Ohio, another FBS program. It will also be a homecoming for Dukes’ junior quarterback Joe Mischler, who started his career with the Bobcats before transferring to Duquesne in 2020.
Week 8 will feature a rematch of the NEC Championship game from April when the Dukes travel to Fairfield, Connecticut to take on Sacred Heart. The Pioneers beat the Dukes in overtime to capture the NEC title.
