POCATELLO, Idaho - The Idaho State football team has announced its 2024 season schedule and for the first time in 10 years, the Bengals will host six home contests.
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The Bengals only play one FBS opponent in 2024 against Oregon State to open the season. This is a stark departure from years past which saw the Bengals play two or even three games against FBS and larger conference opponents.
Director of Athletics Pauline Thiros on the Bengals' 2024 Schedule
We are pleased with the 2024 schedule, and find it to be the type of mix we would like to see every year. The Big Sky has 5-6 playoff teams annually and represents an enormous challenge in itself. We are excited that in 2024 we are able to use the pre-season to prepare for that challenge in a meaningful way. Scheduling only one guarantee game is a goal to which we have aspired. Now we can amend our focus from one of surviving the preseason, to one of emerging from the pre-season with a winning record. The Bengals are proud to welcome ISU faithful to a great slate of competition, to watch an inspired team, and to do so in a terrific new venue. 2024 should be an exciting year.
Head Coach Cody Hawkins on the 2024 Schedule:
Playing In Holt Arena this past season was an incredible experience. The opportunity for our student-athletes and our community to come together for another game is a special one, and we look forward to working hard to reward the Bengal faithful with high-quality football for all six games this fall. Playing high-quality opponents at our level helps us gauge our preparedness for the gauntlet that is the Big Sky conference. Better preparation will breed better performance and we are so thankful for Pauline Thiros, ICCU, and the Idaho State administration for giving us this opportunity.
2024 Idaho State Football Schedule Preview
The Bengals open the season taking on the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis, Oregon on August. 31. This will be the third all-time meeting of the two programs and the first since the 2016 season.
Idaho State is then home for the first of its two non-conference home games of the season. The Bengals open the new ICCU Dome with a game against the Western Oregon University Wolves, a DII member of the Great Northwest Athletics Conference. The Bengals and Wolves have only faced off once before, a 37-6 victory for the Orange and Black in Pocatello in 2017.
The Bengals then hit the road, heading to Grand Forks, North Dakota, to take on the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks in the Alerus Center. This will be the 10th all-time meeting of the two programs. The Bengals have won three out of the last five meetings.
The Orange and Black then head home for the final non-conference game of the 2024 season to host the Southern Utah University Thunderbirds. It's Homecoming week and prior to the Benagls and Thunderbirds kicking off will be a week of activities and festivities, Info to come here https://www.isu.edu/homecoming/. This will be the first meeting of the two programs since SUU's departure from the Big Sky Conference, and 19th all-time meeting of the Bengals and Thunderbirds. The Bengals won the last meeting of the two programs 26-24 in Cedar City, Utah during the Spring 2021 football season.
After an exciting non-conference slate. The Bengals are back home for four of its eight Big Sky Conference matchups in 2024.
The Big Sky season starts with the Montana State University Bobcats coming to Holt Arena on Sept. 8 for the 85th all-time meeting of the two programs. The last time the Bobcats were in Pocatello, the Bengals came away with a 24-17 win.
The Bengals then head west to San Luis Obispo to take on the Cal Poly Mustangs for the 25th meeting of the two schools. The all-time series is close with a 14-10 Cal Poly edge. In the previous four meetings of the programs, the series is split 2-2 with the Bengals winning the previous meeting in Pocatello 40-31 during the 2022 season.
Back home the next week in Pocatello, the Bengals host the Portland State University Vikings on October 12 for the 47th meeting of the schools. The Bengals are 4-1 in the last five meetings. During the 2023 season, the Bengals defeated the Vikings 38-24 in Portland.
The next week, the Bengals are back in Flagstaff for the first time since the 2021 season to take on the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks October 19. This will be the 56th meeting of the two schools. The Bengals' previous win against NAU came in 2018, a 56-42 shootout victory in Pocatello.
The Orange and Black close out October hosting the Sacramento State University Hornets on the 26th. This will be just the 23rd meeting of the two schools. The Bengals will look to break a three-game skid versus the Hornets. The Bengals have a good home record against the Hornets, leading the home series 7-5 with the two previous games in the dome going the Bengals' way.
The next week, November 2, the Bengals get a much-deserved reprieve with a BYE.
Back at it the week of November 9, the Bengals travel to Ogden to take on the Weber State University Wildcats in the 61st iteration of the series.
The road trip continues November 16 when the Bengals head to Cheney to take on the Eastern Washington University Eagles for the 41st time in program history. The Bengals will look to continue momentum against the Eagles after 2023's amazing 27-point comeback victory in Pocatello.
The 2024 regular season ends in Pocatello as the University of Idaho Vandals return to the Dome for the 44th meeting of the two teams. In the previous five games the Bengals and Vandals have played since Idaho's return to FCS, the Vandals hold the slight 3-2 edge. The Bengals have taken two of three in Pocatello against the Vandals.
2024 Football Schedule
*Home Games Bolded
August 31 at Oregon State
September 7 vs Western Oregon
September 14 at North Dakota
September 21 vs Southern Utah - Homecoming
September 28 vs Montana State
October 5 at Cal Poly
October 12 vs Portland State
October 19 at Northern Arizona
October 26 vs Sacramento State
November 9 at Weber State
November 16 at Eastern Washington
November 23 vs Idaho
