Big Sky Conference (FCS)
Overview: Any discussion of Big Sky Conference football for the 2026 season should begin and end with the two teams from the same state, the Montana State University Bobcats and the University of Montana Grizzlies, respectively.
Montana State overcame an 0-2 start to win its final 14 games, culminating in a dramatic win over Illinois State in the FCS title game on January 5th, 2026. The 35-34 win over the Redbirds gave the Bobcats their second-ever FCS/NCAA Division I-AA national championship, with their only other title coming in 1984. With the win, Montana State finished the 2025 season at 14-2 overall.
As for Montana, the Grizzlies carried an undefeated record into their annual "Brawl of the Wild" showdown in Missoula, Montana. But it was the Bobcats that ended the Griz's quest for an undefeated regular season with a 31-28 Montana State win on November 22.
The Grizzlies then won two FCS playoff games over South Dakota State and South Dakota to earn a rematch against the Bobcats in the semifinals. However, Montana State won that battle in a contest that wasn't really close, with the Bobcats cruising to a 48-23 win on December 20th, 2025. Montana's 2025 season ended at 13-2 overall after losing to Montana State.
The only other Big Sky Conference team to advance to the FCS playoffs last fall was the University of California-Davis Aggies. UC Davis defeated Rhode Island 47-26 in the second round before being eliminated by eventual national runner-up Illinois State 42-31. The Aggies finished their 2025 season at 9-4 overall.
The upcoming 2026 season will bring multiple changes to the Big Sky Conference membership, with longtime member Sacramento State leaving for the FBS Group of Six Mountain West Conference, while Southern Utah and Utah Tech are moving into the Big Sky from the United Athletic Conference (UAC).
It will be interesting to see whether Montana and Montana State will continue to dominate the Big Sky Conference discussion or if other squads will have a say in the conference championship conversation this season.
161. Cal Poly
162. Eastern Washington
163. Idaho
164. Idaho State
165. Montana
166. Montana State
167. Northern Arizona
168. Northern Colorado
169. Portland State
170. Southern Utah
171. UC Davis
172. Utah Tech
173. Weber State
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