For an 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 in April its plans to shift its athletic program from Division II to D-I. That means old rivalries will end and new ones will be formed as Mercyhurst begins competition in the Northeast Conference (NEC).
‘Big, bold move:’Erie’s Mercyhurst University to become Division I school, join Northeast Conference
Here are five things to know about the Lakers’ 2024 schedule.
Mercyhurst’s first game as a D-I 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, Aug. 29. Wheeling, which competes in the Mountain East Conference, finished 5-5 last season.
Mercyhurst will enjoy nine days off between its season opener and a Sept. 7 trip to Howard University in Washington, D.C. That game presents the first of seven D-I opponents Mercyhurst will play in 2024.
More:How Mercyhurst athletic programs will make the jump to Division I, Northeast Conference
The Lakers will endure four consecutive 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 be classified.
All seven of Mercyhurst’s 2024 D-I opponents compete in the FCS, separate from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
Mercyhurst’s first of four scheduled home games is a 1 p.m. kickoff Sept. 28 against Frostburg State University, another D-II member of the Mountain East. The Lakers will welcome D-III Buffalo State a week later, and will close the year with home games against Lincoln University (Pa.) Nov. 9 and Saint Francis (Pa.) Nov. 23.
More:After Mercyhurst exit, PSAC addresses schedule imbalances, replacement school
Not appearing on Mercyhurst’s 2024 schedule are Gannon University or PennWest Edinboro, its longtime Erie County rivals in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
Gannon will open at home against Northwoood (Michigan) Sept. 5 while Edinboro opens at home Aug. 29 against East Stroudsburg.
Mercyhurst has two bye weeks scheduled – Oct. 19 and Nov. 16. Eleven regular-season games, which the Lakers have listed, are the norm for FCS teams.
Gannon is idle Oct. 19 and Edinboro travels to Clarion. Both have a home game scheduled Nov. 16.
*Northeast Conference; ^homecoming
Contact Jeff Uveino at juveino@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @realjuveino.
