Rider will begin its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference slate Dec. 5 with a visit to in-state rival Monmouth.

The Hawks are making their league debut in that contest.

The Broncs’ second early-season conference game comes three days later when Quinnipiac, the other MAAC newcomer, visits Alumni Gymnasium.
 League play turns exclusive on Jan. 2 when Rider hosts Niagara.

Other schedule notes:
— Rider makes the upstate New York trip early in the season, visiting Canisius on Jan. 10 and Niagara two days later. The Broncs didn’t endure the long trek until the final weekend last season, sweeping the trip to finish second.

— Monmouth comes to Alumni Gym as a visitor on Jan. 26.

— The Broncs won’t play defending conference tournament champion Iona until Feb. 21 at home. The return leg is the regular-season finale on March 2.

— The conference tournament is in Springfield, Mass., for the final year before moving back to Albany, N.Y., next season.

RIDER 2013 SCHEDULE
November
12 at Lehigh
17 at Purdue
23 at Central Connecticut State
26 Albany
29 vs. Rice (at Santa Clara, Calif.)
30 vs. Santa Clara or North Dakota State (at Santa Clara, Calif.)
December
5 at Monmouth*
8 Quinnipiac*
14 Wagner
21 at Villanova
29 Pennsylvania
January
2 Niagara*
4 at Siena*
10 at Canisius*
12 at Niagara*
16 Saint Peter’s*
18 at Marist*
24 at Manhattan*
31 at Saint Peter’s*
February
3 Fairfield*
6 Marist*
8 at Quinnipiac*
13 Manhattan*
15 at Fairfield*
21 Iona*
23 Siena*
28 Canisius*
March
2 at Iona*
6-10 MAAC Tournament (at Springfield, Mass.)