Duquesne football won’t play their first game for a while, but they did announce their 2024 regular season schedule on Tuesday, featuring plenty of great matchups.
The 2024 season has 11 games on it, with five at Rooney Field and six on the road. It will serve as the 134th season in program history, which started in 1891. It is also the 20th season for head coach Jerry Schmitt, who has a record of 120-84 (.588), three MAAC titles and six NEC titles since taking over in 2005.
Duquesne football will begin their season with three straight road games, the first time since 2017. They will also face two FBS opponents to start the season in Toledo on Aug. 31 in Week 1 and Boston College on Sept. 7 in Week 2.
This will serve as the first two meetings for the Dukes against these two schools. The Dukes are 1-8 overall against FBS teams, with their sole win coming against the Ohio Bobcats, 28-26 on the road, in 2021. They are also 1-1 against MAC teams, losing their first ever game against an FBS team in the Buffalo Bulls in 2014.
It is also the second time in Duquesne football history that they will play against two FBS opponents in the same season, doing so in 2021. They traveled to face TCU and Ohio, losing the first one 45-3 before upsetting the second one.
A great matchup on the road comes for the Dukes against the Youngstown State Penguins on Sept. 14 in Week 3. The two teams faced off in the First Round of the FCS Playoffs last season, with the Penguins dominating the Dukes, 40-7. The Penguins hold a 6-0 lead in the all-time series.
Duquesne will play their first home game on Sept. 21 in Week 4 against Division II school West Virginia Wesleyan before having their bye week in Week 5.
The NEC schedule starts in Week 6, as Duquesne hosts LIU on Oct. 5, before traveling to face Saint Francis in Week 7 on Oct. 12 and Stonehill in Week 8 on Oct. 19.
The Dukes will still play the Sacred Heart Pioneers in 2024, despite them leaving the NEC for the MAAC, in Week 8 at home on Nov. 2. The Merrimack Warriors, who are also leaving the conference, will not feature on the Dukes schedule next season.
Duquesne football will resume their rivalry with Robert Morris this season, as the latter is joining the NEC from the Big South for football next season. The game will take place at Rooney Field on Week 9 on Nov. 9.
The rivalry, which the two programs started playing in 1994 and consecutively from 2003-19, featured many great games and important ones too, as they both played together in the NEC for football from 2008-19. The Dukes hold a 13-8 all-time series lead over the Colonials.
Duquesne will play their final home game against Wagner in Week 10 on Nov. 16 and then travel to battle Central Connecticut State in Week 11 on Nov. 23 to close the 2024 regular season.
The Dukes had an incredibly successful 2023 season. They finished 7-5, but 6-1 in the Northeast Conference, giving them their first NEC title since 2018, putting them into the NCAA FCS Playoffs. It won’t come easy, but the Dukes have a good thing going on at Rooney Field and will want that to continue on to next season.
