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OGDEN, Utah (April 6, 2016) – ROOT SPORTS and the Big Sky Conference announced its telecast schedule for the upcoming 2016 season with a total of 10 games to be televised on the network.
This will mark the fifth year of a multi-year partnership between
ROOT SPORTS and the Big Sky Conference. All 10 Big Sky Conference football games will be produced and televised in high-definition, with many of the games available in both the Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions.
“We are pleased to continue our strong partnership with the Big Sky Conference, and we look forward to another entertaining and exciting football season in 2016,” said Mark Jorgensen, SVP/General Manager of
ROOT SPORTS. “Big Sky football continues to be programming that our viewers desire.”
This year’s schedule opens with a matchup between the Montana Grizzlies and Cal Poly Mustangs on Sept. 24 in San Luis Obispo, CA. The Grizzlies had an up-and-down season in 2015, opened the season with a victory over top-ranked North Dakota State, before losing their starting quarterback to injury for most of the season. Cal Poly beat the Grizzlies, 20-19, in a non-conference game in Missoula in 2015.
Still, Montana advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs, beating South Dakota State in the opening round. Cal Poly featured the nation’s top rushing attack in 2015, and figures to continue the momentum in 2016.
Big Sky Conference football action will continue every weekend with a single game of the week, until the final weekend of the 2016 regular season, with games scheduled for Friday, Nov. 18, and Saturday, Nov. 19. highlighting two of the league’s rivalries.
First, on Nov. 18, the “Battle for the Dam Cup” pits Eastern Washington and Portland State against each other, in a game at Providence Park in the Rose City. Last season, Portland State qualified for its first FCS playoff bid since 2000, with Vikings coach Bruce Barnum winning the FCS Coach of the Year award. Eastern Washington receiver Cooper Kupp earned a variety of national awards, including FCS Offensive Player of the Year.
The game on Nov. 19 features one of FCS football’s greatest rivalries, with the 116th “Brawl of the Wild” in Missoula, Mont., between Montana State and Montana, finishing off the 2016 schedule.
“Our television partnership with
ROOT SPORTS and DIRECTV has increased our exposure and brand recognition not only regionally, but nationally,” said Big Sky Conference commissioner Doug Fullerton. “
ROOT SPORTS does a first-class, award-winning production every week of its Big Sky football games, as evidenced by the Emmy Award the network won. We’re excited for this 2016 season, which will hopefully be another great season for the Big Sky Conference.”
The conference and
ROOT SPORTS were nominated for another Sports Emmy last weekend, with the nomination recognizing the 2015 production of Big Sky football.
Game times will be announced at a later date.
| 2016 Big Sky Football on ROOT SPORTS |
| Date |
Game |
| 9/24 |
Montana at Cal Poly |
| 10/1 |
UC Davis at Eastern Washington |
| 10/8 |
Northern Arizona at Montana State |
| 10/15 |
Montana State at Weber State |
| 10/22 |
Eastern Washington at Montana State |
| 10/29 |
Montana at Eastern Washington |
| 11/5 |
Idaho State at Montana |
| 11/12 |
UC Davis at Montana State |
| 11/18 |
Eastern Washington at Portland State |
| 11/19 |
Montana State at Montana |