Buffalo Bisons fans and front office staff probably want to look ahead to 2010 as quickly as possible, with 2009 turning into the franchise’s worst in 15 years. Believe it or not, everybody can do exactly that because the International League has released the team’s ’10 schedule.

The opener is April 8 at Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre, part of a six-game trip. The home opener is April 14 against Pawtucket, part of a seven-game stand. But the big news is there’s an increase in the number of summer weekend dates.

There are 17 home dates in August on the 2010 schedule (up from 11 in 2009). There are 14 home weekend dates in July and August, five more than this season. There are a combined five Friday dates and five Saturday dates in July and August and just 11 in April. Overall, 32 of the 72 home dates are on either Friday (11), Saturday (11) or Sunday (10).

The annual July 3 Independence Eve celebration with the Buffalo Philharmonic is a Saturday against Rochester, and the Bisons host the Wings the previous night as well for back-to-back weekend fireworks shows.

The IL’s schedule format remains the same: 16 games against the other five teams in the North Division and eight against the remaining eight teams for a 144-game season.

The complete schedule (game times have not been determined):

APRIL: 8-9-10-11, at Scranton-WB; 12-13, at Syracuse; 14-15-16, Pawtucket; 17-18-19-20, Scranton-WB; 21-22, at Rochester; 23-24-25-26, at Pawtucket; 27-28-29-30, Durham.

MAY: 1-2-3-4, Louisville; 6-7-8-9, at Indianapolis; 10-11-12-13, at Louisville; 14-15-16-17, Norfolk; 18-19-20-21, Charlotte; 22-23-24-25, at Lehigh Valley; 27-28-29-30, Toledo; 31, Syracuse.

JUNE: 1-2-3, Syracuse; 4-5-6-7, at Norfolk; 8-9-10-11, at Durham; 12-13-14-15, Lehigh Valley; 17-18-19-20, Indianapolis; 21-22-23-24, at Gwinnett; 25-26-27-28, at Charlotte; 29-30, Syracuse.

JULY: 1-2-3, Rochester; 4-5-6-7, at Syracuse; 8-9, Scranton-WB; 10-11, at Rochester; 15-16-17-18, Gwinnett; 19-20, at Rochester; 21-22, Rochester; 23-24-25-26, at Toledo; 27-28-29-30, at Columbus; 31, Lehigh Valley.

AUGUST: 1-2-3, Lehigh Valley; 5-6-7-8, Columbus; 9-10, at Lehigh Valley; 11-12, at Scranton-WB; 13-14-15-16, at Pawtucket; 18-19-20, Rochester; 21-22-23-24-25, Pawtucket; 26-27, at Syracuse; 28-29, at Scranton-WB; 30-31, Syracuse.

SEPTEMBER: 1-2, Scranton-WB; 3-4, at Lehigh Valley; 5-6, at Rochester.