For obvious reason, 2024 will be a memorable football season for Mercyhurst University.
The Lakers will play a Division I schedule for the first time in program history after the school announced plans in April to move its athletic program from Division II to DI. That means old rivalries will end and new ones will form when Mercyhurst begins competition in the Northeast Conference (NEC).
‘A big, bold move:’Erie’s Mercyhurst University to become a Division I school and join the Northeast Conference
Here are five things to know about the Lakers’ 2024 schedule.
Lakers open in Wheeling on August 29
Mercyhurst’s first game as a DI program will be played against a Division II opponent.
The Lakers will travel to Wheeling University in West Virginia for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Thursday, August 29. Wheeling, which competes in the Mountain East Conference, finished 5-5 last season.
Howard will be DI’s first opponent
Mercyhurst will enjoy nine days off between the season opener and a Sept. 7 trip to Howard University in Washington, DC. That game features the first of seven DI opponents Mercyhurst will play in 2024.
Further:How Mercyhurst athletic programs will make the jump to Division I, Northeastern Conference
The Lakers will endure four straight road games to start the year, including a Sept. 14 trip to Robert Morris University for their Northeast Conference opener. Like Howard and Hurst’s Week 4 opponent, Montana State University, Robert Morris competes in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), where Mercyhurst will also qualify.
Mercyhurst’s seven DI 2024 opponents compete in the FCS, separate from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
Home opener on September 28
The first of Mercyhurst’s four scheduled home games is a 1 p.m. kickoff on Sept. 28 against Frostburg State University, another D-II member of the Mountain East. The Lakers will host D-III Buffalo State a week later and close out the year with home games against Lincoln (Pa.) University on Nov. 9 and Saint Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 23.
Further:After Mercyhurst leaves, PSAC addresses schedule imbalances, replaces school
Gannon, Edinboro unscheduled
Not appearing on Mercyhurst’s 2024 schedule are Gannon University or PennWest Edinboro, its former Erie County rivals in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
Gannon will open at home against Northwoood (Mich.) on Sept. 5, while Edinboro will open at home on Aug. 29 against East Stroudsburg.
There are two dates left open for ‘Hurst
Mercyhurst has two bye weeks scheduled: October 19 and November 16. Eleven regular season games, which the Lakers have listed, are the norm for FCS teams.
Gannon will be inactive on October 19 and Edinboro will travel to Clarion. Both have a home game scheduled for November 16.
Contact Jeff Uveino at juveino@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @realjuveino.
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