The 2012 Dickinson State football season will certainly be one of firsts.
In their first year competing as a member of the Frontier Conference, the Blue Hawks will play the first 11-game regular-season schedule in school history and open the season against a league opponent.
"I can't remember the last time we did that," DSU head coach Hank Biesiot said. "That's a different twist."
It has happened before, in 2000 when the Blue Hawks played Black Hills State to open the season in the first year of the Dakota Athletic Conference. Their schedules had already been set after opening the previous 25 seasons against each other.
For the fifth consecutive season, the Blue Hawks open the year against Rocky Mountain College.
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However, that is now one of two conference games the teams will play during the season. DSU hosts the first at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1 at the Badlands Activities Center.
DSU will play three of its five September games at home, host Montana Tech for homecoming on Oct. 6 and then close out its season with four of five games on the road.
That span includes its lone nonconference game against former DAC opponent Jamestown College on Oct. 13 in Jamestown. The Blue Hawks' only home game in that stretch is against Eastern Oregon on Oct. 27.
"Jamestown has been a good team to play over the years," Biesiot said. "They're struggling, looking for games too. It's help for both teams."
DSU ends the season with trips to Montana State-Northern on Nov. 3 and defending NAIA national champions Carroll College on Nov. 10.
The longest road trip comes Sept. 22 when the Blue Hawks visit another Frontier newbie, Southern Oregon, in Ashland, Ore.
DSU athletic director Tim Daniel said the school is exploring the possibility of chartering a plane and other transportation options for that game.
"It hasn't been finalized yet," Biesiot said.
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2012 DSU football schedule
Sept. 1 - vs. Rocky Mountain College
Sept. 8 - at Montana-Western
Sept. 15 - vs. Montana State-Northern
Sept. 22 - at Southern Oregon
Sept. 29 - vs. Carroll College
Oct. 6 - vs. Montana Tech (homecoming)
Oct. 13 - at Jamestown College
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Oct. 20 - at Rocky Mountain College
Oct. 27 - vs. Eastern Oregon
Nov. 3 - at Montana State-Northern
Nov. 10 - at Carroll College
Time notes: All home games are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. except the Rocky Mountain game, which starts at 7 p.m. Times for road games have not been announced.
