FOREST GROVE, Ore. — Pacific University has been playing college football for over 100 years, so it would be difficult to put together a schedule with too many new twists, especially when seven of your contests are already cemented against conference opponents.

But just when you thought there was nothing new under the sun, here's the 2016 Boxer football schedule.

Six home games and a match-up played in Hawaii gives the Boxer slate a different look than it has ever had before. No one can remember six homes (the Boxers have had only four in each of the last two seasons for example). And technically, their September 17 game in Honolulu against Occidental is Pacific's "home" game as well.

So officially, seven home games.

"We have a great home atmosphere with all of the tailgating, the student energy and the parents section," said Pacific head coach Keith Buckley. "It's a fun event. I am excited for our kids to get to experience that more times than in the past."

The Boxers will open the season under the Hanson Stadium lights against Adrian (Mich.) and Dubuque (Iowa) before jetting to Oahu to host Occidental. After a bye week, Northwest Conference play begins and in 2016 Pacific will host Linfield, Lewis & Clark, Whitworth and Puget Sound.

"The biggest value to playing at home is the comfort of sleeping in your own bed, being in your own locker room and getting into your game day routine," Buckley added. "It is also nice this year that we have only one overnight trip, and that trip is to Hawaii."

The idea to play a game on the islands began circulating in Buckley's head when he took on the challenge of resurrecting the program in 2009. With Pacific's longstanding tradition of being a destination campus for many of Hawaii's high school graduates and with numerous alumni living in Hawaii, playing a game there made sense.

"I felt like the connection between the university and America's 50th state needed to be celebrated," Buckley explained. "It's a match made in heaven. It took awhile to put it together but I believe that everyone will benefit. It's a true celebration of our relationship with the people of that great state."

This past fall, 28 of the players on Pacific's roster played their high school football in Hawaii. Only the University of Hawaii had more players from the islands on their roster.

The game versus Occidental will be played at Kamehameha-Kapalama School, with a 6 p.m. (Hawaiian time) kick-off.

Pacific's 2016 schedule features three teams that qualified for the NCAA Division III playoffs (Linfield, Whitworth and Dubuque), and Adrian has also been in the tournament in recent years. "Our non-conference opponents are very tough and of course the Northwest Conference is one of the best in the country," Buckley added. "This will be a very challenging and exciting schedule for our football program."
 

¹All times subject to change
²Pacific will serve as the home team in the neutural site game
*Denotes NWC competition