Lights play 10 tough games this fall

The Montana State University-Northern football team is getting close to wrapping up spring practice, and, close to seeing another school year come to a close.

However, the Lights can certainly also start to look ahead to the 2016 season, which open in just over four months. And, with the season seemingly just around the corner, the Lights’ 2016 Frontier Conference schedule has already been finalized.

Northern, which went 0-11 a year ago, and 0-10 in the Frontier, will begin the season, and Frontier play at home Aug. 27 when the Lights play host to Rocky Mountain College at Blue Pony Stadium. Kickoff for that game is slated for 1 p.m. Rocky, which went 5-6 a year ago, has a new head coach in Jason Petrino and is one of three teams the Lights will play twice this fall.

In all, MSU-N will play five home games, and the Lights will also have two byes, including following the RMC opener. The Lights will be off on Sept. 3.

Northern’s four other home games, include a bout with Carroll College Sept. 17, a visit from Eastern Oregon Oct. 8, Montana Tech coming to Havre Oct. 22 and the College of Idaho Yotes playing in Havre for the second straight season. That game is the season finale Nov. 12. The Lights will also have their second bye of the season Oct. 1.

As for road challenges, MSU-N will travel to Frontier playoff team Montana Tech Sept. 10 and UM-Western Sept. 24. The Lights then go for a rematch with RMC Oct. 15 in Billings, before playing back-to-back road games at Carroll Oct. 29 and at NAIA runner-up Southern Oregon Nov. 5.

New to the schedule this season is also a planned night game for the Lights at home. That game will be the Eastern Oregon game Oct. 8. Kickoff at Blue Pony Stadium is set for 6 p.m. that night, and that should be a fun and exciting twist in the Lights’ home schedule. Night games in the Frontier Conference are pretty rare, and usually only happen when the Lights, or Western Bulldogs, who share their stadiums with local high school teams, make room from high school football playoffs. Northern played several such games in recent years, but this fall’s game against the Mounties is a planned night kickoff, and it should be a popular game amongst Northern’s home schedule.

As for the competition, Northern head coach Aaron Christensen’s Lights will certainly have their hands full with the Frontier slate. Southern Oregon has been to the national championship game two years in a row and is ranked No. 2 in the NAIA Spring Football Coaches Poll. Montana Tech, which the Lights play twice this season, is also coming off a playoff year and is ranked 7th in the spring poll, while UM-Western, which the Lights play once away from Blue Pony Stadium, is ranked No. 16 in the poll.

Northern’s season again kicks off early, just as it did a year ago. The Lights will host Rocky Aug. 27 at 1 p.m. at Blue Pony Stadium. The Lights will hold their annual Spring Game this Saturday at the MSU-Northern practice fields.

2016 Lights Schedule

Aug. 27 vs Rocky Mountain, 1 p.m.

Sept. 10 at Montana Tech, 1 p.m.

Sept. 17 vs Carroll, 1 p.m.

Sept. 24 at UM-Western, 1 p.m.

Oct. 8 vs Eastern Oregon, 6 p.m.

Oct. 15 at Rocky Mountain, 1 p.m.

Oct. 22 vs Montana Tech, 1 p.m.

Oct. 29 at Carroll, 1 p.m.

Nov. 5 at Southern Oregon, 1 p.m.

Nov. 12 vs College of Idaho, 12 p.m.