Football season is a long way off, but the University of Maine has released its 2007 schedule.

The Black Bears face an 11-game slate while competing in its first season as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association, which has absorbed the former Atlantic 10 Football Conference.

Coach Jack Cosgrove’s team has locked up five home contests, including two in September. The Bears open at home for the first time since 2003 when they take on Monmouth, a member of the Northeast Conference.

“We are very excited about our 2007 schedule,” Cosgrove said. “We have two home games in September, which should draw large crowds and create a great environment for our kids to play in.”

UMaine also will start up two new gridiron rivalries against Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) teams Monmouth and Stony Brook.

The Bears also will continue their recent trend of playing a Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) team when they face Big East member Connecticut Sept. 8 in Storrs.

UMaine’s CAA opponents include North Division rivals Massachusetts, Hofstra, Northeastern, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, along with South Division foes Villanova, William & Mary and Towson.

“Our league has a new title this season, but it’s still the same faces, so each conference game will be a good contest,” Cosgrove said.

UMaine appears to have balanced out its nonconference games. With Bowl Subdivision teams extremely tough to beat, the Bears have scheduled a pair of lower-level Championship Subdivision programs in Monmouth (N.J.) and Stony Brook.

Monmouth went 10-2 last season and won the NEC championship, losing to San Diego in the inaugural Gridiron Classic. That game matches the winners of the NEC and Pacific Football League, which are made up of teams that award considerably fewer scholarships than the Championship Subdivision maximum of 63.

Stony Brook is a member of the America East Conference in which UMaine competes in most sports. The Seawolves, who also play football in the NEC, went 5-6 last fall after winning the league title in 2005.

UMaine makes staff changes

UMaine athletic director Blake James has announced a handful of personnel changes within the athletic department.

Patrick McBride has been named the athletic development officer, Jonathan Murphy has taken over as the athletic marketing and promotions director, Leslie Look has been promoted to head strength and conditioning coach and Tim Guillerault has been promoted to first assistant strength and conditioning coach.

McBride most recently has worked in communications and development at Bowdoin College in Brunswick and as the sports information director at UMaine-Farmington.

Murphy, who has been at UMaine for a month, spent the previous four years in several capacities at Dartmouth College. Look has worked at UMaine for six years and oversees the strength and conditioning of the Black Bears’ football, women’s basketball, baseball, field hockey and men’s and women’s soccer teams.

Guillerault has worked at UMaine for three years and is responsible primarily for the men’s ice hockey team’s strength and conditioning program.

UMaine football

2007 SCHEDULE

(all times TBA)

September

1 – Monmouth

8 – at Connecticut

15 – at Villanova*

22 – Massachusetts*

29 – Open

October

6 – at Hofstra*

13 – William & Mary*#

20 – at Stony Brook

27 – at Northeastern*

November

3 – Towson*

10 – Rhode Island*

17 – at New Hampshire*

*-Colonial Athletic Association game

#-Homecoming