Bobcat Football Tabbed 8th, 7th in Big Sky Preseason Polls
7/19/2016 9:46:00 AM | Football
First-year coach Jeff Choate finds little to quibble with
"I just don't have a strong opinion on that," Choate said of his Bobcats landing tied for seventh in the Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches Poll and eighth in the media poll. "That's about right, I think. But I don't put a lot of stock in it."
The Bobcats finished out of the conference title hunt for the first time in the decade last year, lost the team's starting quarterback to a transfer, and transition to a new head coach. Northern Arizona is picked to win the league by both groups, with Portland State, Montana, Eastern Washington, and North Dakota established as the group of teams most likely to knock the Lumberjacks out of the top perch.
The Bobcats open the season on September 1 at Idaho.
2016 Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Northern Arizona (8) 132
t2. Portland State (2) 121
t2. Montana 121
4. Eastern Washington (2) 112
5. North Dakota (1) 105
6. Weber State 83
t7. Southern Utah 73
t7. Montana State 73
9. Cal Poly 66
10. Northern Colorado 43
11. Sacramento State 30
12. Idaho State 24
13. UC Davis 23
2016 Big Sky Conference Preseason Media Poll
1. Northern Arizona (8) 287
2. Montana (7) 283
3. Eastern Washington (5) 269
4. North Dakota 262
5. Portland State (3) 252
6. Weber State 174
7. Southern Utah 162
8. Montana State 157
9. Cal Poly 153
10. Northern Colorado 111
11. Idaho State 58
12. UC Davis 56
13. Sacramento State 50
