MU football: from the Duquesne perspective - their joining the NEC/from Pittsburgh Tribune-Review/couretesy NEC web site
Duquesne makes move to NEC official
By Dave Mackall
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Duquesne's announcement Monday that it will become an associate member of the Northeast Conference for football spells the end of the program's non-scholarship days in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
The move, which becomes effective in 2008, will afford Duquesne the opportunity to award a limited number of athletic scholarships.
Duquesne coach Jerry Schmitt lauded the school's decision to move to the NEC, saying it would help elevate the school's recruiting efforts.
"It gives us the opportunity to speak to players we may not have been able to speak to in the past," Schmitt said.
The Dukes have compiled a record of 11-6 against current members of the NEC, including a 9-4 mark against Robert Morris (4-4) and St. Francis (Pa.) (5-0), two district teams.
"This is a big move for Duquesne, a tremendous move," said former Dukes quarterback Tony Zimmerman, a Penn-Trafford High School product and former Pitt transfer who helped lead the Dukes to national prominence at the NCAA Division I-AA level when it broke into The Sports Network Division I-AA poll for the first time in 2000. "Things have really changed since I was here. This is a big step for this program."
The Dukes, who will compete in the MAAC in football next season for the final time, have won or shared eight consecutive titles in the league, which has dwindled to five teams after reaching a league-high membership of nine. The number will be reduced even further after next season with the loss of Duquesne.
With the move to the NEC, Duquesne will grant 18 scholarships in 2008, Duquesne athletic director Greg Amodio said, adding that the number will increase by two for the following three years, and that the school also plans to add eight scholarships combined for women's sports.
"We intend on moving forward in athletics," Amodio said. "We just didn't get into this to get into the Northeast Conference. We did it to win championships, just as we did in the MAAC."
NEC football members are permitted to award a maximum of 30 athletic scholarships, but even so, NEC teams lost in three games against Duquesne last season.
"Football is an integral sport in the NEC, and the addition of Duquesne will strengthen our reputation as an emerging (Football Championship Subdivision) league," NEC commissioner Brenda Weare said.
Much in the same way improvements are being made at Palumbo Center, Duquesne's indoor arena, Amodio said there are plans to renovate Rooney Field, which is home to the football team.
"We're going to do what is necessary to improve both facilities and send a message that we're serious about athletics," Amodio said.
Duquesne, which is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference in 18 of its other 19 sports -- it competes in the Eastern Wrestling League -- has won 11 MAAC championships in 13 years as an associate member.
"It's exciting," Duquesne quarterback Scott Knapp said of the move. "Hopefully, we can improve the level of competition here. We've played those guys in the past, but knowing that they've gotten the scholarships and seeing how much they've improved in just one year, it's an exciting time."
For most of the time since Duquesne University joined the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in 1994, it has been the dominant program. The Dukes have won or shared 10 of 13 titles, including the past eight. A look at the league champions with conference record:
2006: Duquesne, 3-1
2005: Duquesne, 4-0
2004: Duquesne, 4-0
2003: Duquesne, 5-0
2002: Duquesne, 8-0
2001: Duquesne, 6-0
2000: Duquesne, 7-0
1999: Duquesne, 6-1
1998: Fairfield, 6-1
1997: Georgetown, 7-0
1996: Duquesne, 8-0
1995: Duquesne, 7-0
1994: Marist, 6-1
1993: Iona, 5-0
By Dave Mackall
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Duquesne's announcement Monday that it will become an associate member of the Northeast Conference for football spells the end of the program's non-scholarship days in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
The move, which becomes effective in 2008, will afford Duquesne the opportunity to award a limited number of athletic scholarships.
Duquesne coach Jerry Schmitt lauded the school's decision to move to the NEC, saying it would help elevate the school's recruiting efforts.
"It gives us the opportunity to speak to players we may not have been able to speak to in the past," Schmitt said.
The Dukes have compiled a record of 11-6 against current members of the NEC, including a 9-4 mark against Robert Morris (4-4) and St. Francis (Pa.) (5-0), two district teams.
"This is a big move for Duquesne, a tremendous move," said former Dukes quarterback Tony Zimmerman, a Penn-Trafford High School product and former Pitt transfer who helped lead the Dukes to national prominence at the NCAA Division I-AA level when it broke into The Sports Network Division I-AA poll for the first time in 2000. "Things have really changed since I was here. This is a big step for this program."
The Dukes, who will compete in the MAAC in football next season for the final time, have won or shared eight consecutive titles in the league, which has dwindled to five teams after reaching a league-high membership of nine. The number will be reduced even further after next season with the loss of Duquesne.
With the move to the NEC, Duquesne will grant 18 scholarships in 2008, Duquesne athletic director Greg Amodio said, adding that the number will increase by two for the following three years, and that the school also plans to add eight scholarships combined for women's sports.
"We intend on moving forward in athletics," Amodio said. "We just didn't get into this to get into the Northeast Conference. We did it to win championships, just as we did in the MAAC."
NEC football members are permitted to award a maximum of 30 athletic scholarships, but even so, NEC teams lost in three games against Duquesne last season.
"Football is an integral sport in the NEC, and the addition of Duquesne will strengthen our reputation as an emerging (Football Championship Subdivision) league," NEC commissioner Brenda Weare said.
Much in the same way improvements are being made at Palumbo Center, Duquesne's indoor arena, Amodio said there are plans to renovate Rooney Field, which is home to the football team.
"We're going to do what is necessary to improve both facilities and send a message that we're serious about athletics," Amodio said.
Duquesne, which is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference in 18 of its other 19 sports -- it competes in the Eastern Wrestling League -- has won 11 MAAC championships in 13 years as an associate member.
"It's exciting," Duquesne quarterback Scott Knapp said of the move. "Hopefully, we can improve the level of competition here. We've played those guys in the past, but knowing that they've gotten the scholarships and seeing how much they've improved in just one year, it's an exciting time."
For most of the time since Duquesne University joined the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in 1994, it has been the dominant program. The Dukes have won or shared 10 of 13 titles, including the past eight. A look at the league champions with conference record:
2006: Duquesne, 3-1
2005: Duquesne, 4-0
2004: Duquesne, 4-0
2003: Duquesne, 5-0
2002: Duquesne, 8-0
2001: Duquesne, 6-0
2000: Duquesne, 7-0
1999: Duquesne, 6-1
1998: Fairfield, 6-1
1997: Georgetown, 7-0
1996: Duquesne, 8-0
1995: Duquesne, 7-0
1994: Marist, 6-1
1993: Iona, 5-0
posted by Tony Graham at 7:55 PM
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