FARMINGTON, Utah (August 11, 2021) – Just four months removed from the most unconventional season in Big Sky Soccer history, Northern Arizona has been selected as the favorite to win the title this fall in the 2021 Big Sky Soccer Coaches' Poll.
NAU received two first-place votes in this season's voting and received 71 points.
"It's definitely flattering, but it's a preseason poll. I do believe that the conference is going to be super competitive," said NAU head soccer coach Kylie Louw about being picked as the preseason favorite. "We feel good about it, but we've got to compete, and the job is definitely not done."
NAU enters this upcoming season as the favorite after finishing first in its division last year and earning a berth into the Big Sky Tournament Championship game. The Lumberjacks could not see their championship dreams through as the title game was cut short due to CoVID-19 testing protocols.
Montana came in a close second in the voting with 70 points and received four first-place votes. The Griz finished last season at the top of their division and represented the Big Sky at the NCAA tournament after being crowned the 2020 Big Sky Soccer Champions. Montana is looking to repeat their success last season and make their way back to the title game this fall.
The leagues' coaches picked Northern Colorado to finish the upcoming year as the third-best team in the conference. The Bears received 66 points and three first-place votes. UNC is coming off a 2021 spring season where they made an appearance in the Big Sky Championships before falling in the semifinals to Montana.
Despite being picked to finish the year tied for sixth place, Weber State also picked up a first-place vote in this year's voting.
In the preseason coaches’ poll, the league's coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team.
| 2021 Big Sky Soccer Coaches' Poll |
| 1 |
Northern Arizona (2) |
71 |
| 2 |
Montana (4) |
70 |
| 3 |
Northern Colorado (3) |
66 |
| 4 |
Idaho |
56 |
| 5 |
Sacramento State |
48 |
| T6 |
Weber State (1) |
43 |
| T6 |
Eastern Washington |
43 |
| 8 |
Southern Utah |
22 |
| 9 |
Portland State |
17 |
| 10 |
Idaho State |
14 |