Jeff Capel declines to get specific about interruption in Pitt-Duquesne series
For the second week in a row, Duquesne received one voting point (25th) in the Associated Press poll. But the undefeated Dukes (9-0) won’t get a chance to test themselves against their neighbors 2 miles up Forbes Avenue.
The old rivals, who have met 87 times, aren’t playing each other this year for the first time since the 1969-70 season.
There are several reasons for that, including the ACC moving from an 18- to a 20-game schedule. Pitt (8-3) also was committed to open Robert Morris’ new arena, its first game against the Colonials since 2011. Pitt and Duquesne officials have suggested the series will resume next season.
When Pitt coach Jeff Capel was asked about the deletion this season, he declined to discuss it in detail.
“I have involvement in my schedule. It’s my schedule so I have involvement in that,” he said. “But there were some things that happened that we decided not to play them this year.”
Asked to be more specific, he said, “Those are things that are between me and my AD.”
Pitt leads the series, 55-32, and has won 17 of the past 18 games.
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Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.
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