Bozeman, MT – Montana State enters the 2026 football season as the team to beat in the Big Sky Conference after they earned the top spot in both the league’s preseason coaches and media polls, which were announced Monday.
The Bobcats received 11 first-place voted and 143 total points in the coaches poll, comfortably finishing ahead of in-state rival Montana. In the media poll, Montana State collected 35 first-place votes and 490 points to claim the conference’s top ranking.
University of Montana finished second in both polls, followed by UC Davis in third. Those three programs were the only schools to receive first-place votes heading into the season.
Montana State enters the season with plenty of momentum. The Bobcats have captured the last two Big Sky championships and are coming off the program’s 2025 FCS National Championship. Under head coach Brent Vigen, Montana State has won three conference titles in five seasons, establishing itself as one of the premier programs in the Football Championship Subdivision.
