Wednesday, June 07, 2023

THE RFC MYC: Big Sky Conference (FCS)

Big Sky Conference (FCS) 


Overview: How strong was the Big Sky Conference on the football field last fall?

Strong, as in six of its 12 squads finishing the 2022 season with a winning record, or at least six wins. Of the six teams that won six or more games last season, five of those teams advanced to the FCS playoffs.

Two of those teams, in Sacramento State (12-1 overall in 2022) and Montana State (12-2 overall), shared by the Big Sky Conference championship after both teams finished conference play undefeated at 8-0. Neither team played each other during the regular season.

Once the postseason started, both Montana State and Sacramento State managed to win at least one FCS playoff game. The Bobcats held off Weber State in the second round, then crushed William & Mary in the quarterfinals before succumbing to eventual national champion South Dakota State in the semifinals, while the Hornets outlasted Richmond 38-31 for their program's first-ever playoff win, only to be knocked off by Incarnate Word to see Sacramento State's season come to a close with their lone loss of 2022. 

As for the other three teams to advance to postseason play, Weber State (10-3 in 2022) outlasted North Dakota in the opening round, before losing to Montana State in the second round, Montana (8-5) rallied in the second half to eliminate Southeast Missouri State, only to be eliminated at eventual national runner-up North Dakota State the following week, while Idaho (7-5) gave Southeastern Louisiana all it could handle before falling in the first round, 45-42.

Looking ahead to 2023, the Big Sky Conference is expected to flex its muscles on the gridiron yet again, with six of its teams ranked in both the Athlon Sports and Hero Sports preseason polls, respectively. The national media has definitely taken notice of this league's strength from top to bottom, as two of its games are set to air on ESPN2 at midseason. The Montana at Idaho game will be played on October 14, while the Montana State at Sacramento State showdown will air on October 21. Airtime for both contests will be at 10:30 pm EDT/7:30 pm PDT.

Don't be surprised if the Big Sky sends multiple squads to postseason play yet again this season.


2023 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)


NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2023 season. The link (s) will appear in each blog post when the team's schedule is submitted. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.



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