Duquesne will open the 2016-17 Atlantic 10 season at Fordham on Dec. 30 – marking the Dukes earliest conference start since 1993-94 – it was announced by the conference office as part of the league schedule released today.
Eight of DU’s 18 conference games will be televised including home games vs. VCU (Jan. 4 on ASN), Dayton (Jan. 14 at CONSOL Energy Center on CBSSN), Rhode Island (Jan. 21 on NBCSN), St. Bonaventure (Feb. 1 on ASN) and George Washington (Feb. 19 on NBCSN). Duquesne’s remaining A-10 home games will be against Saint Louis (Jan. 11), Massachusetts (Feb. 15), Fordham (Feb. 22) and Saint Joseph’s (Mar. 4).
Duquesne’s three televised conference road games will be at La Salle (Jan. 7 on ASN), at Dayton (Feb. 4 on NBCSN) and at St. Bonaventure (Feb. 25 on ASN). In addition to the opener at Fordham, DU will also face George Washington (Jan. 18), Davidson (Jan. 24), Richmond (Jan. 28), Saint Louis (Feb. 11) and George Mason (Mar. 1) on the road.
It has also been announced that Duquesne’s non-conference game at Penn State on Nov. 13 will be televised by the Big Ten Network.
A record 87 televised conference games make up the 2016-17 A-10 men’s basketball package. Every Atlantic 10 institution will make at least eight appearances on national television through the league’s four media partners: ESPN, CBS Sports Network, NBCSN and the American Sports Network (ASN). This is the first time in A-10 history that over two-thirds of conference games (87 of 126) will air on national TV.
The 14 member Atlantic 10 schools will face each other once and five schools twice in the third-straight year of an 18-game regular-season league schedule.
DU’s five home-and-home opponents include 2016 NCAA tournament participant Dayton, NIT participants George Washington and St. Bonaventure along with CIT participant Fordham and Saint Louis. Duquesne and Richmond are the only A-10 schools facing four 2016 postseason opponents twice.
The 2017 Atlantic 10 Championship will held in Pittsburgh for the first time since 1982 when CONSOL Energy Center welcomes all 14 conference members on March 8-12. There will be a pair of first-round games Wednesday, March 8 on ASN followed by second round games on Thursday, March 9. The winners of those four games will advance to the quarterfinal round on Friday, March 10. The second-round and quarterfinal games will be televised by NBCSN. Semifinal games will air on CBSSN on Saturday, March 11 and the championship game will be carried by CBS on NCAA Selection Sunday, March 12. The top four regular-season finishers will receive first round byes.
Fifth-year head coach Jim Ferry and the Dukes open the season at home against Loyola, Md. on Nov. 11.
Fans can get their first look at the 2016-17 Dukes in an exhibition game versus Mansfield on Saturday, Nov. 5.
Season and group tickets are now on sale by calling 412-232-DUKE or by visiting www.GoDuquesne.com. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date.
