FARMINGTON, Utah (Oct. 28, 2026) – The 2026-27 Big Sky Conference men’s basketball campaign will begin next week, as all 11 programs will start their season on either Monday or Tuesday.
This will also officially begin the new era of Big Sky men’s basketball, as Southern Utah and Utah Tech join the fray and bring the league to 11 full-time members.
Big Sky Men's Basketball Weekly Notebook (Week One)
Below are the latest news and notes from around the Big Sky.
Preseason Polls & All-Conference Team
The Big Sky Conference office has released its 2026-27 Men’s Basketball Preseason Polls and All-Conference Team, which have tabbed the Montana State Bobcats as league favorites and Northern Colorado’s Langston Reynolds as Preseason Most Valuable Player.
The Bobcats are set to return 11 players from last year’s squad, which finished second in the Big Sky regular season standings with an 18-14 overall record. They are projected to be led by 2025-26 First Team All-Big Sky performer Jed Miller, who averaged 14.9 points per game, 5.7 assists per game, 2.9 assists per game and 1.6 steals per game last season.
Northern Colorado was picked second in both polls, with Reynolds returning to the Big Sky Conference after a season at Minnesota. While playing in the Big 10, he averaged 11.6 points per game in 26 starts. He also led the Golden Gophers with 150 assists. At the conclusion of his 2024-25 campaign for Northern Colorado, he was voted First Team All-Big Sky after averaging 16 points per game. He played for UNC from 2022-25 and is now back in Greeley with the Bears.
Eastern Washington checked in at third in both polls, highlighted by a pair of Preseason All-Conference selections. Andrew Cook returns to Cheney after missing the 2025-26 season with an injury. The year prior, he averaged 16.1 points per game for the Eagles, along with dishing out 59 assists and securing 38 steals. He’s joined on the Preseason All-Conference Team by Alton Hamilton IV, who was a Second Team All-Big Sky performer last season and was named to the Big Sky’s All-Tournament Team. Hamilton IV averaged 11.3 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game last year, along with dishing out 73 assists for the Eags.
This season the Big Sky will welcome in two new men’s basketball programs, with Southern Utah and Utah Tech bringing the league to 11 full-time member institutions. Both programs are also represented on the Preseason All-Conference list, with Ethan Potter (UT) and Jaiden Feroah (SUU) both getting the nod.
Potter was a First Team All-WAC performer last season, and a member of the league’s All-Tournament Team. He averaged 16.8 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game for the Trailblazers. Feroah was an All-Defensive Team honoree for the WAC last season, averaging 13.5 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Thunderbirds.
Portland State’s Koren Johnson rounded out the Preseason All-Conference Team. Johnson is a transfer from Ole Miss, who was named 2023-24 Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year while playing for Washington. The Vikings, who are the Big Sky’s reigning regular season champion, were tied for fourth in the Coaches’ Poll and fifth in the Media Poll.
Idaho, the defending Big Sky Tournament champions, were voted sixth by both coaches and media.
2026-27 Big Sky Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1: Montana State (7) – 97
2: Northern Colorado – 81
3: Eastern Washington (3) – 79
T4: Montana – 73
T4: Portland State – 73
6: Idaho (1) – 56
7: Utah Tech – 50
8: Weber State – 29
9: Idaho State – 26
10: Southern Utah – 25
11: Northern Arizona – 16
2026-27 Big Sky Men’s Basketball Preseason Media Poll
1: Montana State (19) – 326
2: Northern Colorado (7) – 295
3: Eastern Washington (5) – 279
4: Montana (1) – 254
5: Portland State – 236
6: Idaho – 183
7: Utah Tech – 161
8: Weber State – 143
9: Idaho State – 93
10: Southern Utah – 85
11: Northern Arizona – 57
2026-27 Big Sky Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Langston Reynolds, Northern Colorado (MVP)
Jed Miller, Montana State
Ethan Potter, Utah Tech
Andrew Cook, Eastern Washington
Alton Hamilton IV, Eastern Washington
Jaiden Feroah, Southern Utah
Koren Johnson, Portland State
DeCuire Chasing History
Montana head coach Travis DeCuire is just two victories away from tying for second all-time in Big Sky history for career wins. DeCuire currently has 244 career wins, and is chasing Montana State legend Mick Durham, who had 246 wins during his career. Long-time Weber State head coach Randy Rahe holds the Big Sky record for total coaching victories with 316 in 16 seasons.
Upcoming Schedule (All Game Times MT)
Monday, November 2
Utah Tech at New Mexico // 7:00 p.m. (MW+)
Weber State at Oregon State // 7:30 p.m. (YouTube)
Colorado College at Northern Colorado // 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Idaho State at Utah State // 7:30 p.m. (YouTube)
West Coast Baptist College at Southern Utah // 8:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
George Fox at Idaho // 8:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Montana at Oregon // 8:00 p.m. (BTN)
Eastern Washington at Stanford // 8:00 p.m. (ACCNX)
Montana State at Colorado State // 8:00 p.m. (YouTube)
Tuesday, November 3
Lewis & Clark at Portland State // 8:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Northern Arizona at UNLV // 8:00 p.m. (MW+)
Wednesday, November 4
Grace University at Utah Tech // 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Salish Kootenai at Montana // 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Thursday, November 5
Grace University at Southern Utah // 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Friday, November 6
Eastern Washington at Oregon // 4:00 p.m. (B1G+)
Idaho State at Wyoming // 6:30 p.m. (MW+)
Northern Colorado at Arizona State // 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Idaho at Colorado State // 7:00 p.m. (YouTube)
Saturday, November 7
Long Beach State at Montana State // 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Northern Arizona at New Mexico // 4:00 p.m. (MW+)
Bethesda at Southern Utah // 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Utah Valley at Weber State // 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Portland State at SeattleU // 8:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Sunday, November 8
Idaho State at Air Force // 1:00 p.m. (MW+)
Lincoln (CA) at Idaho // 3:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Monday, November 9
Eastern Washington at Oregon State // 7:30 p.m. (YouTube)