For the first time in five years, there will be a new school among the Duquesne men’s basketball team’s Atlantic 10 home-and-home opponents.
The Atlantic 10, which will celebrate its 45th anniversary, released its 2020-21 schedule pairings Thursday, with Davidson replacing Saint Louis as one of the Dukes’ five two-time opponents.
The others — Dayton, Fordham, George Washington and St. Bonaventure — will remain the same.
Duquesne’s four additional home opponents will be Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Saint Joseph’s and VCU. The Dukes also will travel to George Mason, La Salle, Richmond and Saint Louis.
This is the seventh consecutive season the Atlantic 10 will conduct an 18-game regular-season schedule. All 14 teams will participate in the 2021 Atlantic 10 Championship from March 10-14 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
The league also will host the 2021 NCAA East Regional at Barclays Center, March 26-28.
The Dukes won a school-record 11 conference games last season and were one of five Atlantic 10 schools to win at least 20.
Duquesne was in Brooklyn for the A-10 Tournament last March, when Atlantic 10 officials canceled the remainder of the tournament in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.
Five starters return from the 21-9 team. Coach Keith Dambrot, who is entering his fourth season, has increased his victory total from 16 (2017-18) to 19 (2018-19) to 21.
Dates, times, venues and TV schedules will be released at a later date, conference and school officials said.
Duquesne had hoped to open the season on campus in its new UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, but construction delays created by the coronavirus will push the opening into 2021.
