Portland State Athletics has announced that four of the five games on its 2018 home football schedule will be played at Hillsboro Stadium. The Vikings Athletics Program cites a variety of challenges in home scheduling with Peregrine Sports, operator of Providence Park, as necessitating the move.
 
"Each year we have challenges securing a home schedule at Providence Park, but this year was particularly difficult," said Vikings Director of Athletics Valerie Cleary. "As it stands right now, there is only one of our five dates that we can be certain that Providence Park is available. One date for certain is not available, and three others are questionable. Due to the difficulties and costs involved moving back and forth between venues in the past, it makes more sense for us to confirm all of the dates in advance, and that necessitates us having four games at Hillsboro."
 
Recently, it was announced the National Women's Soccer League would hold the 2018 Championship Match at Providence Park on Sept. 22. That is also the date of Portland State's Big Sky Conference home opener against Montana State. The Vikings would be moved out of the stadium on that date.
 
PSU's home dates of Sept. 15 (College of Idaho), Nov. 3 (Idaho State) and Nov. 17 (Eastern Washington) are also threatened due to potential Portland Thorns and Portland Timbers playoff matches and/or Providence Park Stadium construction. It would not be known if those dates are secure until as late as the week of the game.
 
The only home date that is secure at Providence Park at this time is an Oct. 13 matchup with Northern Colorado.
 
Portland State has used Hillsboro Stadium as a home venue in the past. The 2000 and 2010 seasons were played entirely at Hillsboro due to construction and remodeling on the downtown stadium both times. PSU also had single dates at Hillsboro Stadium in 2014, 2015 and 2017 due to scheduling conflicts with the Portland Timbers.
 
Portland State has used Providence Park (and all of its previous incarnations) as its full-time home since 1967, and has played games there dating back as far as 1949. The Viking program anticipates working with Peregrine Sports in the future to secure home dates at Providence Park.
 
Hillsboro Stadium does have advantages for the Portland State program, including ample parking and tailgating space, and a lower rental fee. The stadium would be configured in a 7,000-10,000 seat arrangement to accommodate the Vikings.
 
The Gordon Faber Recreation Complex, which houses Hillsboro Stadium, has become home to numerous events, including Hillsboro Hops baseball, Oregon and Oregon State football scrimmages, and Pac-12 baseball. Portland State already uses the Complex as home for its women's soccer and softball programs.
 
"We are very fortunate that the folks at Hillsboro have been welcoming and helpful to us in the past and presently," said Cleary. "They have been great to work with in this process and will make sure Portland State is able to put on first-class home games this fall."
 
Ticketing adjustments, game day events and other game information will become available soon from Portland State Athletics.
 
FOOTBALL SCHEDULE UPDATES AND CHANGES
Portland State's game with Eastern Washington, originally scheduled for Nov. 17, has been moved to Friday night, Nov. 16. The move is due to previously scheduled events at Hillsboro Stadium on Nov. 17. The game will kick off at 7 p.m.
 
Playing on Friday is not unprecedented, as Portland State hosted the Eagles on Friday nights in their last two season-ending trips to the Rose City. Games in 2014 and 2016 were also played on Friday.
 
The Vikings' Sept. 8 game time against the University of Oregon has been announced. The Vikings and Ducks will kick off at 11 a.m. in a game televised on the Pac-12 Network. The two teams meet for the first time since 2010. The game also marks the sixth straight year (and seventh game) that the Vikings have taken on a Pac-12 team on the Pac-12 Network.
 
PSU's Nov. 10 contest at North Dakota now has a game time as well. The Vikings and Fighting Hawks will play in a 2 p.m. CT/Noon PT contest. The game will be televised in the Midwest on the MidCo Sports Network.
 
2018 PORTLAND STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Aug. 31, at Nevada, 6 p.m.
Sept. 8, at Oregon, 11 a.m. (Pac-12 TV)
Sept. 15, College of Idaho, TBA, Hillsboro Stadium
Sept. 22, Montana State*, TBA, Hillsboro Stadium
Sept. 29, at Idaho*, TBA
Oct. 6, at Montana*, TBA
Oct. 13, Northern Colorado*, TBA, Providence Park
Oct. 20, bye
Oct. 27, at Sacramento State*, TBA
Nov. 3, Idaho State*, TBA, Hillsboro Stadium
Nov. 10, at North Dakota*, Noon PT
Nov. 16, Eastern Washington*, 7 p.m., Hillsboro Stadium
 
* Big Sky Conference game
other game times and television to be announced