POCATELLO, Idaho — Idaho State was picked to finish fourth in the Big Sky Conference Media Poll and fifth in the Big Sky Coaches Poll, according to preseason polls released ahead of the 2026 football season.
The Bengals collected 349 points in the media poll, trailing only Montana State, Montana and UC Davis, and finishing ahead of Northern Arizona (339). In the coaches' balloting, ISU checked in fifth with 99 points, sandwiched between Northern Arizona (108) and Southern Utah (82).
Montana State was the overwhelming preseason favorite in both polls, drawing 35 of 43 possible first-place votes from media (490 points) and 11 of 13 first-place votes from coaches (143 points). Montana was picked second in both polls (448 media, 130 coaches, with one first-place vote from media), followed by UC Davis at third in each poll (421 media, 121 coaches, with two first-place votes each).
Big Sky Football Preseason Media Poll
- Montana State (35) – 490
- Montana (1) – 448
- UC Davis (2) – 421
- Idaho State – 349
- Northern Arizona – 339
- Idaho – 283
- Southern Utah – 273
- Eastern Washington – 246
- Cal Poly – 168
- Weber State – 155
- Northern Colorado – 153
- Portland State – 68
- Utah Tech – 65
Parentheses denote first-place votes.
Big Sky Football Preseason Coaches Poll
- Montana State (11) – 143
- Montana – 130
- UC Davis (2) – 121
- Northern Arizona – 108
- Idaho State – 99
- Southern Utah – 82
- Idaho – 77
- Eastern Washington – 70
- Weber State – 48
- Northern Colorado – 47
- Cal Poly – 46
- Portland State – 24
- Utah Tech – 19
Parentheses denote first-place votes. Coaches could not vote for their own team.
The countdown to kickoff is on! Idaho State opens season at home against VMI in just 40 days on August 29. Kickoff is set for 4:00 PM, get your tickets today as the Bengals move into an exciting 2026 season
