The Mercyhurst Lakers have announced their 2026 football schedule, which includes three FBS opponents among 12 total games.
The Lakers open the season on August 27 with a Thursday night road matchup at Youngstown State, marking their earliest season opener since joining the NEC.
Mercyhurst then heads west for consecutive FBS contests, traveling to New Mexico State on September 5 and New Mexico on September 12 — the program’s first‑ever meetings with both opponents. The Lakers return to Erie on September 19 for their home opener against Glenville State before heading back on the road September 26 for a matchup at WKU, their third FBS opponent in a four‑week span.
NEC play begins on October 3 when Mercyhurst travels to LIU, followed by the team’s lone open date on October 10. Conference action resumes on October 17 with a home matchup against Central Connecticut, the Lakers’ first NEC game at Saxon Stadium in 2026.
A demanding three‑game NEC road stretch follows: October 24 at Robert Morris, October 31 at Stonehill, and November 14 at Duquesne, with a November 7 home contest against Wagner breaking up the travel. The regular season concludes on November 21 when Mercyhurst hosts New Haven.
Below is Mercyhurst’s complete schedule for the 2026 season, plus a link to their schedule page which will be updated with kickoff times and TV as they are announced:
2026 Mercyhurst Football Schedule
08/27 – at Youngstown State (Thu.)
09/05 – at New Mexico State
09/12 – at New Mexico
09/19 – Glenville State
09/26 – at WKU
10/03 – at LIU*
10/10 – OFF
10/17 – Central Connecticut*
10/24 – at Robert Morris*
10/31 – at Stonehill*
11/07 – Wagner*
11/14 – at Duquesne*
11/21 – New Haven*
* NEC contest.
Mercyhurst finished the 2025 season 5-7 overall and 4-3 in conference action. The Lakers are entering their first season under new head coach Thomas Sydeski, who served as the Lakers’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach the past two seasons.