Back to Full: Lights to play 11 games, six at home this fall

After the 2020 fall slate was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, The Montana State University-Northern Lights got to play a much-needed four spring games, including two at home in March and April.

The shortened 2021 spring football season was a welcome sight for Northern's players, coaches and even a handful of Lights' fans who got to watch the games from outside MSU-N's brand new Lights Stadium. In other words, in so many ways, the spring games were at least somewhat, a return to normal.

"We're better off for playing in the spring than not playing. We're a better football team because we played those four games," Northern head coach Andrew Rolin said after the Lights wrapped up the spring season back in April.

Now, though, the Lights are going back to an even more normal because in the fall they, along with the rest of the Frontier Conference, plan on playing a full schedule for the first time in more than two years.

Northern recently released its 2021 schedule, where the Lights will play 11 games, 10 conference affairs, and, for the first time in quite some time, six home games - which will be exciting since Northern will be able to host fans in their brand new stadium,

MSU-N will begin with a true grand-opening of Lights Stadium on Aug. 28 when the Lights host 2019 Frontier champion College of Idaho. The Yotes are one of four teams Northern played this past spring. Following the season-opener, MSU-N will trek to Ashland, Oregon, to play Southern Oregon for the first time since 2019, and that will be followed MSU-N's bye week Sept. 11 and then a road trip to Montana Western Sept. 18. The Lights then come home for back-to-back games at Lights Stadium, starting with Rocky Mountain College Sept. 25 and then Montana Tech Oct. 2. The game against the Orediggers will be the first since former Northern star QB and MSU-N Hall of Famer Kyle Samson became the Diggers head coach. Tech didn't play in the special spring season.

The Lights will have a total of four home games in October. Following a road trip to defending Frontier champion Carroll College Oct. 9, Northern is set to host NCAA Division II Simon Fraser in a non-conference game on Oct. 16, the first of three straight home tilts. The Lights also play Eastern Oregon Oct. 23 and have a rematch with Western Oct. 30.

November will see the Lights play their final two games of the season on the road. MSU-N visits RMC Nov. 6 in Billings and then wraps up the regular season with a road trip to Butte for a rematch with the Orediggers Nov. 13.

In all, the Lights play Western, Tech and Rocky twice this season, and play Carroll just once for the first time in five years. Northern also is playing its first NCAA DII opponent in over a decade, while the Lights also have just one trip out of state for the first time in a while as well.

The 2021 Frontier season kicks off on Aug. 28, with the Lights taking on C of I in Havre. All games are set to kick off at 1 p.m.

2021 Lights Football Schedule

Aug. 28 vs College of Idaho, 1 p.m.

Sept. 4 at Southern Oregon, 12 p.m.

Sept. 18 at Montana Western, 1 p.m.

Sept. 25 vs Rocky Mountain, 1 p.m.

Oct. 2 vs Montana Tech, 1 p.m,

Oct. 9 at Carroll College, 1 p.m.

Oct. 16 vs Simon Fraser, 1 p.m.

Oct. 23 vs Eastern Oregon, 1 p.m.

Oct. 30 vs Montana Western, 1 p.m.

Nov. 6 at Rocky Mountain, 1 p.m.

Nov. 13 at Montana Tech, 1 p.m.