Duquesne schedule update

[Doo Cane 4 ever]

Still waiting to fill in the blanks but as of now the Duquesne schedule looks like this.

Sept 2 @ Bucknell
Sept 9 @ Robert Morris
Sept 16 ST. FRANCIS
Sept 30 WEST LIBERTY STATE :bang:
Oct 7 @ Fordham
Oct 14 @ St. Peter's
Oct 21 MARIST
Oct 28 IONA

LaSalle yet to confirm the date but that is all I have. A 9 game schedule. A D2 opponent for the first time in years. Georgetown, Penn and Columbia dropped from the schedule.
I guess the new AD had started the demise of the football program which we all suspected as soon as he was hired. He was hired from a non-football school (Xavier). He obviously has no clue or interest in the football program.
Oh, but he did hire a new basketball coach to a 5 year $1.5 million dollar contract :eek:
Call me dramatic folks but stick a fork in Duquesne football within 3 or 4 years.
You also have to question a coach who allows this to happen but since he came from a mediocre D3 program - this schedule is probably a step up.
As you can tell I'm a little mad so I better go before I really get on a roll !!

[DFW HOYA]

Georgetown had two open dates in 2006 but both were in weeks where Duquesne was playing MAAC teams.

Does the AD set the schedule or the coach?

[RabidRabbit]

UC-Davis and So.Utah are hunting.:smiley_wi

[Fordham]

Tough news, Doo(k). We're in a similar boat in that our skid this year has no A10 teams and only Columbia from the Ivies but after speaking with the staff I believe this will be an anomaly for us since I know we have Yale, Brown, and I believe URI coming back on in the next few years. We're also in a similar boat in that hoops is the biggest thing at each school (same conference too, huh?).

Do you guys have a gridiron club? How good is the overall support for your f-ball program? You guys need to make sure your President and AD know that you're concerned about the direction of the program. I think this is one thing we have going right now in our favor, which is that there are a few influential alums who support the program AND the overall support via our Gridiron Club is strong and growing. It's the only thing they'll notice and respect.

Good luck.

[65 Pard]

Have you by any chance hired as a consultant a tall bald nerd named Arthur?

[Pard4Life]

Have you by any chance hired as a consultant a tall bald nerd named Arthur?

:lmao:

Artie is in the God-foresaken swamp tank of DC politics and onboard the sinking Bush Adminstration ship.

As a Duquesne consultant he is probably commanding a 500,000 per year salary... but I don't think a SANE educational institution would AWARD that money to ONE MAN.. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: (ahem Lafayette BOT).

[Pard4Life]

Disappointed to see the schedule drop for Duquesne... your team usually is very competitve each year and ends up with 8+ wins many years. Schedule still seems to be tilted towards the PL for OOC games.

Why the drop in Ivies? Your AD do that or the opposing teams? Columbia dropped us strangely.

[carney2]

Someone asked about support for the program. What is an average home crowd like? Are you still playing in that bubble contraption up on top of the bluff? I see that there's a new coach - Jerry Schmitt. Did Gattuso leave on good terms or did he just desert a sinking ship? For a while there, he seemed to have things headed in the right direction.

Here's an update on the schedule:

Date Opponent Time
Sept. 2 at Bucknell TBA
Sept. 9 at Robert Morris TBA
Sept. 16 SAINT FRANCIS, PA 1:00
Sept. 23 SACRED HEART 1:00
Sept. 30 WEST LIBERTY STATE 1:00
Oct. 7 at Fordham TBA
Oct. 14 at Saint Peter's* TBA
Oct. 21 MARIST* (HC) 1:00
Oct. 28 IONA* 1:00
Nov. 4 at La Salle* TBA

[nlwwln]

west liberty may pull that one on duquesne

[Go...gate]

This is a disappointment. It was good to see DU's program growing again. Hope you get the word to your administration that they are potentially tossing away a good thing.

[Doo Cane 4 ever]

There is a very strong tailgate club that raises considerable funds for the program and has really grown during the last 4 years. Duquesne averages 400-500 for their away games and frequently outnumber the home crowd, so the support is definitely there.
Unfortunately I think the new AD's attitude is to salvage the basketball program no matter the cost to other sports. Football made a $450,000 profit last season, basketball only $150,000. Basketball average crowd 1,000, football average crowd 4,000. None of which seems to matter because the influential alumni are longing for the days when Duquesne was a basketball power (what year was that exactly.....1960 something !!!) and basketball eats up the resources that should be allocated to at least a better stadium for the football team. What the football team lacks is a strong alumni organization and I really don't see how that is going to change.
Anyway e-mails to the AD would be [email protected]

[DFW HOYA]

Tough news, Doo(k). We're in a similar boat in that our skid this year has no A10 teams and only Columbia from the Ivies but after speaking with the staff I believe this will be an anomaly for us since I know we have Yale, Brown, and I believe URI coming back on in the next few years.

Ivy League schedules through 2007:

http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/sports/schedules.asp?intSID=3

[Doo Cane 4 ever]

Notice that the 2006 and 2007 Columbia schedule features Duquesne but the just released Duquesne schedule has no Columbia.
The word in the locker rooms is that the outgoing AD and new AD had a confusing transition and the football contracts for Columbia and also Dayton were misplaced !!!!!! :doh: