The 2024 Northeast Conference (NEC) Football Schedule has been announced. Conference play begins on Saturday, Sept. 14 with Central Connecticut at Saint Francis U.
For the 2024 season, the Robert Morris Colonials return to the NEC, while the Merrimack Warriors and Sacred Heart Pioneers depart. Sacred Heart will play as an FCS Independent this season, while Merrimack’s status is uncertain.
As a result, the NEC football schedule for the 2024 season will feature seven conference members playing a full round-robin schedule, which results in six conference games per team.
NEC members in 2024 include the Central Connecticut Blue Devils, Duquesne Dukes, LIU Sharks, Robert Morris Colonials, Saint Francis U. Red Flash, Stonehill Skyhawks, and Wagner Seahawks.
NEC members playing Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents this season include Central Connecticut (UMass), Duquesne (Toledo, Boston College), LIU (TCU), Merrimack (Air Force, UConn), Robert Morris (Utah State), Saint Francis (Kent State, Eastern Michigan), and Wagner (UMass).
15 previously unannounced non-conference matchups involving NEC teams were also revealed by the schedule release and are listed below:
- Saint Francis U. at Dayton (Aug. 31)
- Edinboro at Robert Morris (Sept. 7)
- Wagner at Delaware State (Sept. 14)
- Sacred Heart at Stonehill (Sept. 21)
- West Virginia Wesleyan at Duquesne (Sept. 21)
- Frostburg at Robert Morris (Sept. 28)
- Wagner at Florida Atlantic (Sept. 28)
- Saint Francis U. at Delaware State (Oct. 5)
- Delaware State at Robert Morris (Oct. 12)
- Sacred Heart at CCSU (Oct. 12)
- Stonehill at Merrimack (Oct. 19)
- Merrimack at Robert Morris (Nov. 2)
- Sacred Heart at Duquesne (Nov. 2)
- LIU at Sacred Heart (Nov. 9)
- Sacred Heart at Saint Francis U. (Nov. 23)
2024 NEC Football Schedules
- 2024 Central Connecticut Football Schedule
- 2024 Duquesne Football Schedule
- 2024 LIU Football Schedule
- 2024 Robert Morris Football Schedule
- 2024 Saint Francis U. Football Schedule
- 2024 Stonehill Football Schedule
- 2024 Wagner Football Schedule
NEC Football Schedule (Composite)
Makes me wonder how long the Sacred Heart and Merrimack defections have been in the works. Are they looking to move to another conference, adding up to the full allotment of 63 for FCS or are they conemtplating dropping all scholarships and looking to join the Pioneer League?
The Pioneer seems feasible. A move to the Mid-Eastern(MEAC) seems unlikely, as I don’t believe either school is an HBCU. Though, I suppose it’s not impossible for the conference to make them affiliate members, just for football. It would certainly help out with the MEAC’s scheduling issues, not that they don’t get a fuller amount of “money games” by having only being tethered to five conference games.
They are both moving to the MAAC, which does not sponsor football. The only MAAC school that plays football, Marist, plays in the Pioneer league. So that is a possibility but maybe Sacred Heart did not want to drop scholarships right away.
If the NEC loses yet another football member, DSU could conceivably compete in two football conferences.
MEAC and NEC?
Any rules against that, just curious.
There are. You’re only allowed in one conference.
I don’t understand SFU AD’s scheduling.
SFU only had 10 games in 2023 and now only 11 games in the 12-game 2024 season.
Comical ineptitude.
My dream for a Halloween treat would be CBS Sports Network to televise Robert Morris Colonials vs Merrimack Warriors.