Montana picked second in Big Sky preseason polls as kickoff weekend nears

MISSOULA - The Montana Grizzlies were picked to finish second in the Big Sky Conference title race in 2026 by the league's coaches and media members, as the conference's annual preseason polls were released Monday.

The Griz collected 130 points in the coaches' poll and 448 in the media poll, slotting behind No. 1 Montana State and ahead of No. 3 UC Davis in both.

Montana will face three of the top five teams on the road this season, traveling to Bozeman to face No. 1 Montana State, to California to face No. 3 UC Davis and to Flagstaff to face No. 4/5 Northern Arizona.

The Griz will host a preseason top five matchup on national television when Idaho State, which came in No. 5 in the coaches' poll and No. 4 in the media poll, comes to Missoula on Nov. 14 for a showdown on the ESPN family of networks.

Montana is preparing to enter its first season under new head coach Bobby Kennedy in 2026.

The Griz return five starters (3O/2D) and 31 lettermen from a team that went 13-2, reached the FCS national semifinals for the 13th time in program history and produced one of the most explosive offenses in school history.

Returning starters include quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat and running back Eli Gillman, both named preseason All-Americans and both named to the Walter Payton Award watch list last week, and linebacker Peyton Wing, also a preseason All-American who earned a spot on the Buck Buchanan Award watch list.

Kennedy, Gillman, Wing and defensive coordinator Eric Sanders will represent Montana next week at Big Sky Kickoff Weekend, the annual media days event scheduled for July 24-27 at Northern Quest Resort and Casino in Spokane, Wash.

The weekend opens Saturday, July 25, with the league's annual free youth football clinic from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. PT at North Central High School in Spokane. Gillman and Wing will join student-athletes from all 13 Big Sky football programs as instructors. Participants will receive a free poster for autographs immediately after the clinic.

Saturday evening, the 2026 Big Sky Hall of Fame Gala begins at 6:30 p.m. PT at Northern Quest Resort and Casino. Montana basketball legend Michael Ray Richardson is among eight inductees in the 2026 class. The ceremony airs live on select Scripps Sports stations across Montana and the Mountain West and on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT. A complete list of broadcast markets appears below.

Sunday features a full day of meetings, photo shoots, and educational opportunities for coaches and student-athletes. Sunday's slate also includes the return of "Big Sky U" to the Kickoff Weekend's programming, with Sanders joining 13 assistant coaches identified as emerging head coaching candidates from around the league to take part in training, mock interviews, and roundtable discussions to help prepare them for the next step in their coaching careers.

On Monday, Scripps Sports and ESPN+ will air four hours of live coverage from the football media day event, featuring interviews with all coaches and players in attendance, beginning at 10 a.m. MT/9 a.m. PT. Complete broadcast listings appear below.

Montana opens the season with a Big Sky showdown under the lights against Southern Utah in Missoula on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. New season ticket packages, mini plans, and single game tickets are on sale now at GrizTix.com or GoGriz.com/Tickets.

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 denote 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 denote first-place vote

Big Sky Hall of Fame Gala (Saturday, July 25 at 8:00 p.m. MT/7:00 p.m. PT)
The Spot: MTN
Missoula/Kalispell, MT
Billings, MT
Bozeman/Butte, MT
Great Falls, MT
Helena, MT

The Spot: Utah 16
Salt Lake City, UT

The Spot: Denver 3
Denver, CO

The Spot: Idaho
Boise, ID
Twin Falls, ID

The Spot: Arizona 61
Phoenix, AZ

The Spot: Arizona 58
Tucson, AZ

Big Sky Football Media Day (Monday, July 27 at 10:00 a.m. MT/9:00 a.m. PT)
The Spot: MTN
Missoula/Kalispell, MT
Billings, MT
Bozeman/Butte, MT
Great Falls, MT
Helena, MT

The Spot: Arizona 58
Tucson, AZ

University of Montana Athletics

Montana picked second in Big Sky preseason polls as kickoff weekend nears

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Keali'i Ah Yat

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