EASTON, Pa. – The 142^nd season of Lafayette football is set to kick off on Sept. 2. The Leopards will play five home contests and six road games under second-year head coach John Troxell '94.

Lafayette opens the campaign with a pair of night road games, traveling to Sacred Heart in Fairfield, Conn. on Sept. 2 and Duke on Sept. 9. The meeting in Durham, N.C. against the Blue Devils will be the first against the Atlantic Coast Conference opponent. Lafayette has played 23 games (10-11-2) against current members of the ACC, but has not played a current ACC school since 1951 (Syracuse). 

The Leopards open their 97^th season in Fisher Stadium with Community/Youth Day on Sept. 16 when Columbia comes to College Hill, the teams' first meeting since 2010. That weekend will feature a Putnam Years Reunion, commemorating teams from 1971-80. The Columbia game kicks off a three-game home stand that includes Monmouth on Sept. 23 (Family Weekend) and Bucknell on Sept. 30.  The weekend of the Monmouth game, Lafayette football will welcome back players from the Russo years (1981-99), including celebrating the 35^th anniversary of the 1988 championship team. Homecoming weekend pits the Leopards vs. the Bison, whom they have beaten the last two meetings.

Lafayette will take to the road for its next three games, traveling to Princeton in week six for an afternoon tilt with its second Ivy League foe of the season. A bye week will give the Leopards some extra time to prepare for 2022 NCAA FCS quarterfinalist Holy Cross on Oct. 21. The Leopards gave the Crusaders all they could handle in a 24-21 final last season. The road trip closes at Georgetown on Oct. 28 in Washington D.C., where Lafayette holds a 10-5 all-time record against the Hoyas.

Conference contests against Colgate (First Responders Appreciation Day) and Fordham (Senior Day/Military Appreciation Day) take the Leopards down the Patriot League stretch in weeks nine and 10. On Nov. 4 vs. Colgate, the Tavani years (2000-16) will be commemorated, including the 10-year anniversary of the 2013 Patriot League title. A week later, against Fordham, Lafayette will gather players from the Garrett era (2017-21).

Lafayette will close out the regular season on Nov. 18 at Lehigh in the 159^th meeting of College Football's Most-Played Rivalry. The Leopards claimed the 2022 installment, 14-11, at Fisher Stadium in Troxell's first meeting with the Brown and White as the Leopards' head coach.