FARMINGTON, Utah — The Big Sky Conference preseason coaches and media polls have been released, with defending national champion Montana State tabbed as the league favorite in both polls heading into the 2026 football season.
Monday's announcement comes ahead of the 2026 Big Sky Kickoff Weekend, presented by Northern Quest Resort & Casino, which is set for July 24-27 in Spokane, Wash.
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The Bobcats received 35 first-place votes from the media and 11 from the league's head coaches after a historic end to the 2025 campaign. Montana State captured the Big Sky regular-season championship with a perfect 8-0 conference record before closing the year on a 14-game winning streak, capped by an overtime victory over Illinois State to claim the FCS national championship.
Montana State has now swept both the coaches and media preseason polls in back-to-back seasons, becoming the first Big Sky team to do so since Weber State claimed the top spot in both polls ahead of the 2021 spring and fall football seasons.
Montana and UC Davis rounded out the top three in both polls. The Aggies earned two first-place votes in each poll, while Montana collected one first-place vote in the media poll.
The 2026 Big Sky football preseason all-conference team and preseason most valuable players will be announced on Sunday, July 26, ahead of Monday's Media Day.
Monday’s Media Day begins at 10:00 a.m. MT, as the Big Sky's Meghan Robinson and Scripps Sports' Kyle Hansen will co-host more than four hours of live coverage on ESPN+ and select Scripps Sports stations, including The Spot – MTN across Montana.
Big Sky Football Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Montana State (11) – 143
2. Montana – 130
3. UC Davis (2) – 121
4. Northern Arizona – 108
5. Idaho State - 99
6. Southern Utah – 82
7. Idaho – 77
8. Eastern Washington – 70
9. Weber State – 48
10. Northern Colorado – 47
11. Cal Poly – 46
12. Portland State – 24
13. Utah Tech – 19
*Parentheses denotes first-place vote // Coaches could not vote for their own team
Big Sky Football Preseason Media Poll
1. Montana State (35) – 490
2. Montana (1) – 448
3. UC Davis (2) – 421
4. Idaho State – 349
5. Northern Arizona – 339
6. Idaho – 283
7. Southern Utah – 273
8. Eastern Washington – 246
9. Cal Poly – 168
10. Weber State – 155
11. Northern Colorado – 153
12. Portland State – 68
13 Utah Tech – 65
*Parentheses denotes first-place vote
