ORONO – Six home games and a season-opening showdown at Iowa highlight an expanded 12-game 2008 University of Maine football schedule that was released Tuesday.

The schedule includes five games against teams that made the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs last season, including two at home, James Madison (Sept. 27) and New Hampshire (Nov. 22).

The season is extended to 12 games this year due to 14 Saturdays falling on the calendar between the first permissible playing date (Saturday, Aug. 30) and the last permissible playing date (Saturday, Nov. 22) of the regular season.

The season kicks off Aug. 30 when the Black Bears travel to Iowa City to face Iowa of the Big Ten Conference. The game marks the fifth straight season the Black Bears will face a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision opponent.

Maine is 1-5 all-time against FBS schools, including a 9-7 win over SEC foe Mississippi State in 2004. Iowa is led by head coach Kirk Ferentz, who served as the head coach at Maine from 1990 to 1992.

The Black Bears take to the road the following week (Sept. 6), to face Monmouth at West Long Branch, N.J, then returnto Alfond Stadium for their home opener Sept. 13 against Stony Brook.

Maine then will face three straight opponents from the CAA South Division over the following four weeks: Sept. 20 at Richmond; Sept. 27 vs. James Madison; and Oct. 11 at Delaware.

Maine hosts Hofstra on Oct. 18 and then Northeastern on Oct. 25 during homecoming weekend.

The remainder of the schedule is: Nov 1 Iona; Nov. 8 at UMass.; No. 15 at Rhode Island; and Nov. 22 vs. New Hampshire.