The Mercyhurst Lakers (NEC) have added a 2026 matchup against the New Mexico Lobos (Mountain West) for the 2026 season, as announced by UNM. As of this posting, it is the first publicly known FBS opponent for Mercyhurst since the Lakers joined the FCS in 2024.
Mercyhurst’s first FCS season saw the team go 4-7 overall but three of those wins came against non-Division I opponents. The Lakers posted the school’s first-ever win against a Division I opponent in the season finale with a 21-20 victory over Saint Francis at home. None of Mercyhurst’s four games against NEC opponents counted in the league standings.
The 2025 season features a difficult lineup for Mercyhurst as the four currently known non-conference opponents will all be played on the road. The Lakers will play at Youngstown State (MVFC) on Thursday, August 28, at Sacramento State (Big Sky) on Saturday, September 13, at Montana State (Big Sky) on Saturday, September 20, and at South Dakota State (MVFC) on Saturday, September 27.
New Mexico has future FCS opponents lined up for the next three seasons with Idaho State (Big Sky) in 2025, Mercyhurst in 2026, and Northern Colorado (Big Sky) in 2027. A full listing of all future FCS-FBS matchups can be found here.
Photo Credit to Mercyhurst University Athletics
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