Big Sky Preseason Coaches' Polls Announcement
Pocatello, ID - If sports didn't have people to prove wrong, they wouldn't be nearly as fun.
The Big Sky Conference released its 2024 Men's and Women's Preseason polls earlier today. Decided annually by the league's coaches, the conference polls project the Big Sky standings going into the fall season. This list will be joined by the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), who is set to announce the Bengals' standings in the Mountain Region on Aug. 26.
In the Big Sky polls, the Bengal men's team was projected to finish seventh, while the women tied for eighth place with Montana.
Elsewhere on the list, the top five slots were identical between the men and women. Northern Arizona was the unanimous favorite on both sides to repeat as conference champions, followed by Montana State, Weber State, Idaho, and Eastern Washington in the second, third, fourth, and fifth spots, respectively.
The Bengals are set to kick off the season on Aug. 30 at the Utah Valley Invitational in Orem, marking the ISU debut for new head coach Zach Kughn, who has remarked his excitement about taking over an experienced team with a strong culture. The head man feels that his squads have the talent to place among the best in the conference and the Bengals are ready to get to work.
The full Big Sky Preseason Polls are listed below.
2024 Men's Cross Country Coaches' Poll
1) Northern Arizona (10) – 100
2) Montana State – 90
3) Weber State – 80
4) Idaho – 67
5) Eastern Washington – 61
6) Montana – 50
7) Idaho State – 36
8) Northern Colorado – 30
9) Sacramento State – 20
10) Portland State – 16
2024 Big Women's Cross Country Coaches' Poll
1) Northern Arizona (10) – 100
2) Montana State – 89
3) Weber State – 78
4) Idaho – 71
5) Eastern Washington – 58
6) Northern Colorado – 41
7) Sacramento State – 36
T8) Idaho State – 31
T8) Montana – 31
10) Portland State – 15
