SPOKANE, Washington (July 24, 2023) – The Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches’ and Media Polls have been released, and the Bobcats of Montana State have been tabbed the league favorites heading into the 2023 campaign.
The polls dropped today as part of the 2023 Big Sky Football Kickoff at the Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Spokane, Washington.
The Bobcats, who received 26 first-place votes from the media and 10 from the league’s head coaches, claimed a share of the Big Sky title last season and return a ton of talent on both sides of the ball coming into the 2023 season.
A season ago the Bobcats went 12-2 and 8-0 in conference play. Their season stretched into the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs, where their season ultimately came to a close against South Dakota State.
There was quite a bit of variation between the two polls, setting up what will likely be a season of high-intensity competition.
The league’s head coaches selected UC Davis as the second-best team in the league, followed by Sacramento State, Weber State and Idaho rounding out the top-five respectively.
Sacramento State also finished last season 8-0 in league play, and 12-2 overall. Weber State and Idaho both went 6-2 in Big Sky play, with UC Davis finishing 5-3 and Montana going 4-4 last year.
In the Media Poll, the Idaho Vandals were tabbed the second-best team in the league, followed by Montana in third. Sacramento State and UC Davis rounded out the top-five according to the media.
Tune in to ESPN+ today starting at 9:00 a.m. PT to hear from all 12 Big Sky head coaches and 24 student-athletes, along with a number of special guests. The 2023 Big Sky Football Kickoff will be hosted live by Big Sky Host & Reporter Alex Eschelman.
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Coaches’ Preseason Poll
1. Montana State (10) – 120
2. UC Davis (1) – 96
3. Sacramento State (1) – 94
4. Weber State – 91
5. Idaho – 89
6. Montana – 84
7. Eastern Washington – 52
8. Portland State – 45
9. Northern Arizona – 44
10. Northern Colorado – 37
11. Cal Poly – 25
12. Idaho State – 15
Media Preseason Poll
1. Montana State (26) – 447
2. Idaho (8) – 410
3. Montana (2) – 359
4. Sacramento State (3) – 334
5. UC Davis – 330
6. Weber State – 320
7. Eastern Washington – 216
8. Northern Arizona – 178
9. Portland State – 167
10. Northern Colorado – 109
11. Cal Poly – 103
12. Idaho State – 69
First-place votes in parentheses