CALGARY – The four-time Canada West champion University of Calgary Dinos will begin their quest for an historic gridiron five-peat on Sept. 1 at home.
Winners of the last four conference championships – the first team since 1938 to accomplish that feat – the Dinos look to win an unprecedented five Hardy Cup titles in a row this fall, and the path is laid out as Canada West announced its 2012 football schedule Wednesday.
Dinos fans will see the Regina Rams, Alberta Golden Bears, Saskatchewan Huskies, and Manitoba Bisons pay visits to McMahon Stadium through the season, while Calgary will hit the road to face Manitoba, UBC, Alberta, and Regina.
The Dinos and the Calgary Stampeders have teamed up to offer Calgary fans the best football action anywhere this fall. All Stampeders season tickets also include tickets to all four Dinos home games, as well as a season pass to the Calgary Colts. Stampeders season tickets are on sale now by calling the Stamps Ticket Office at (403) 289-0258 or toll-free 1-800-667-3267.
The Regina Rams, whom the Dinos eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season, open the schedule at 5 p.m. on Sept. 1 at McMahon Stadium. Six days later, the seventh edition of KICKOFF hits the field on Friday, Sept. 7 as the Dinos host archrival Alberta, with game time slated for 5:30 p.m.
Other home games go Sept. 29 vs. Saskatchewan and Oct. 27 vs. Manitoba. Both of those Saturday games will kick off at 5 p.m.
The Dinos will face the UBC Thunderbirds in a rematch of the 2011 Hardy Cup game on Saturday, Sept. 22 in Vancouver – the only meeting of the season between the two sides. Saskatchewan's trip to Calgary in late September marks the only meeting of the year between the two longtime foes, while the Dinos will play home-and-home with Alberta, Manitoba, and Regina – including a first-ever trip to the brand-new Investors Group Field on the University of Manitoba campus in Winnipeg on Saturday, Sept. 15.
Once again the Dinos have partnered with QR77 radio, the official voice of University of Calgary football. Dave Rowe and Tony Spoletini will be on hand for selected games this season, with the broadcast schedule announced at a later date.
The top four teams in the conference advance to the playoffs, where they will battle for the 76th edition of the Hardy Cup. After hosting the CIS Mitchell Bowl back-to-back seasons, the Canada West champion will travel to Ontario for the national semi-final game this season, and the Vanier Cup returns to Rogers Centre in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 25 as part of the celebrations of the 100th Grey Cup.
The Dinos hit the field at McMahon Stadium for Spring Camp in just one week, with the five-day event running from April 25-29. The spring session will culminate with the annual Red-White scrimmage on Sunday, April 29.
University of Calgary Dinos Football
2012 SCHEDULE
Home games BOLD; all times Mountain
Week 1: Saturday, Sept. 1 vs. Regina, 5 p.m., McMahon Stadium
Week 2: Friday, Sept. 7 vs. Alberta, 5:30 p.m., McMahon Stadium – KICKOFF VII
Week 3: Saturday, Sept. 15 @ Manitoba, 12 p.m., Investors Group Field
Week 4: Saturday, Sept. 22 @ UBC, 3 p.m., Thunderbird Stadium
Week 5: Saturday, Sept. 29 vs. Saskatchewan, 5 p.m., McMahon Stadium
Week 6: Thanksgiving Weekend – Conference-wide Bye
Week 7: Friday, Oct. 12 @ Alberta, 7 p.m., Foote Field
Week 8: Friday, Oct. 19 @ Regina, 7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium
Week 9: Saturday, Oct. 27 vs. Manitoba, 5 p.m., McMahon Stadium
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Canada West Semi-finals: Saturday, Nov. 3
76th Hardy Cup: Saturday, Nov. 10
CIS Mitchell Bowl (Canada West @ Ontario): Saturday, Nov. 17
Vanier Cup XLIX: Friday, Nov. 25, Rogers Centre, Toronto
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