What it is: With roots dating back to 1963, the Big Sky Conference has its held its own as the strongest conferences competing outside of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)/Bowl Championship Series (BCS) mainstream. With a membership stretching from Montana to California, Oregon to Arizona, Washington State to Colorado, the Big Sky that manages to transcend two time zones and eight states. The Big Sky was also the conference that helped put current non-BCS FBS power Boise State on the map. The Broncos won the league's first FCS crown in 1980.
As far as success in postseason play is concerned, the Big Sky Conference has managed to put quite a few of its teams in the thick of the national championship race year in and year out. However, Idaho State (1981), Montana (1995, 2001) and Montana State (1984) are the only current members to have won FCS national championships. Montana has also made 20 trips to the FCS playoffs, the most among current Big Sky members, with five national runner-up finishes, including last year's title game loss to Villanova.
Website: http://www.bigskyconf.com/
Projected order of finish (2009 overall record of parentheses, projected champion in BOLD type)
1. Montana (14-1): Despite losing players such as Marc Mariani and Shann Schillnger to the NFL Draft, the Grizzlies were still a near unaminous pick to win a 13th straight Big Sky Conference title. They also hope to reach the playoffs for a record 18th year in a row, as well as win that elusive third national title. But they must try to accomplish all three feats under new head coach Robin Pflugrad, who replaces Bobby Hauck.
2. Eastern Washington (8-4): The Eagles hope to soar high in the Big Sky despite the loss of 17 seniors from last year. They fell to Stephen F. Austin, 44-33, in the first round of last year's FCS playoffs.
3. Weber State (7-5): The Wildcats were the third Big Sky team to earn a postseason berth in 2009, losing 38-0 to William & Mary in the first round.
4. Northern Arizona (5-6): A season ending four-game skid derailed the Lumberjacks conference title and postseason hopes. Their last trip to the playoffs was in 2003.
5. Montana State (7-5): The Bobcats have had eight straight winning seasons dating back to 2002, making three playoff appearances (2002, 2003, 2006) during that stretch.
6. Sacramento State (5-6): A 27-24 upset win over Northern Arizona propelled the Hornets to three wins in their last four games of 2009. They hope to make their first postseason appearance since 1988, when they fell to eventual national champion North Dakota State in the NCAA Division II national semifinals.
7. Portland State (2-9): Nigel Burton replaces Jerry Glanville as the Vikings head coach. Burton will inherit a program that suffered its worst finish since 1982.
8. Northern Colorado (3-8): The Bears haven't had a winning season since moving up to the FCS in 2004.
9. Idaho State (1-10): Only a season-ending 41-34 win over Portland State kept the Bengals from going winless in 2009.
5 years ago
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