Erie, PA- The Mercyhurst Football team releases their schedule as they return to the gridiron for their second season as a Division I university. The team finished 4-7 in their inaugural season in the Northeast Conference. Ryan Riemedio and the Lakers hope to pick up where they left off last season after finishing with an enthralling victory over Saint Francis University.

The Lakers are on the road for their first game of the season, just as they were last year. They open the season with a shorter road trip to Youngstown State University for a matchup against the Penguins. Mercyhurst is not the newest NEC member anymore because New Haven University is joining this Fall. The Lakers will welcome the Chargers to Saxon Stadium in week two of the season.

The month of September will be wheels up across the country for the Lakers. In the middle of the month, the team will fly out to the west coast for a game against Sacramento State University. September 20th will then be a highly anticipated rematch between Mercyhurst and Montana State University. The Lakers then close out the month of September with a contest against the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State University.

Last season, the Lakers only had four conference games due to making the jump to Division I in April of 2024. This season, they play every team in the conference. They enter the consecutive stretch of NEC play in October with a matchup against LIU on Homecoming weekend. After that, they head to Staten Island, NY to face the Seahawks before back-to-back home matchups against Duquesne and Stonehill. The team will get a rest in Week 10 with a bye week on the first of November.

November 8th will be a highly anticipated rematch against Saint Francis University. Last year, the Lakers came from behind and won a close contest against the Red Flash 21-20. The final home game will be an intrastate matchup versus Robert Morris University. The final game of the season is set to be an away meeting to face the Blue Devils of Central Connecticut State University.

Stay tuned to Hurst Athletics social media pages for updates on ticket sales. Viewers can find live coverage of all Mercyhurst home games on the NEC Front Row.