Somerset, NJ -- With Rooney Field as the battleground, the combatants in the first-ever Northeast Conference (NEC) football championship game have been solidified.

Unbeaten NEC regular season champion Duquesne (4-0) will host Sacred Heart (2-1) on April 11 with an automatic berth to the FCS Playoffs at stake. Kickoff time is still to be determined. The game will air live on ESPN3.

The matchup was formalized after the application of NEC postseason qualification and tiebreaker procedures once the regular season came to a close with the announcement that Wagner's games against Sacred Heart and Merrimack would not be made up. The Seahawks were unable to meet the league's minimum roster requirements due to COVID-19 protocols.

Duquesne and Sacred Heart met in the 2020-21 season opener on March 7 with the Dukes holding off the Pioneers, 30-27, in Pittsburgh. Duquesne's Joe Mischler passed for 231 yards and two touchdowns, while SHU star running back Julius Chestnut rumbled for 172 yards and two TDs.

Duquesne has won five NEC football crowns since joining the NEC as an associate member in 2008, while Sacred Heart is a four-time NEC champion.

The 16-team FCS playoff bracket will be revealed on Sunday, April 18. The four rounds will be conducted each of the next four weekends, ending with the national championship game on Saturday, May 15 in Frisco, TX.