Cal Poly’s football team has been picked to finish fifth in its first season in the Big Sky Conference by both the conference’s coaches and media who cover the conference.
The poll was released Tuesday on the final day of the Big Sky Conference Summer Football Kickoff in Park City, Utah.
Defending Big Sky co-champion Montana State was picked to repeat in the 13-team conference which has added four schools from the Great West Conference — Cal Poly, Southern Utah, North Dakota and UC Davis — for football. The Bobcats shared the conference title with Montana last season.
Montana State received 30 of the 40 first-place votes from the media and seven of the 13 first-place votes from coaches. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. Eastern Washington received four first-place coaches votes and three from the media. Montana received five first-place votes from the media and one from the coaches. Southern Utah was the only other team to receive a coaches first-place vote while Cal Poly and Weber State each received one first-place media vote.
Eastern Washington was picked for second in both polls, Montana was picked third in both polls and Portland State was picked for fourth in both polls. North Dakota and Weber State follow Cal Poly in the media poll while Weber State and Northern Arizon follow Cal Poly in the coaches poll. Cal Poly (6-5 overall in 2011) and North Dakota shared the final Great West title last season.
Montana State returns 16 starters this season with seven back on offense and nine on defense from last season’s team that reached the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs before losing to Sam Houston State.
Cal Poly catches a bit of a break in the schedule this season because it doesn’t play Montana State or Montana and its Nov. 3 game at Eastern Washington is a nonconference game.
The Mustangs return only seven starters this year with four back on offense and three returning on defense, led by quarterback Andre Broadous and linebackers Johnny Millard and Kennith Jackson.
BIG SKY MEDIA POLL
First-place votes are in parentheses. Total points at right
1. Montana State (30) 502
2. Eastern Washington (3) 453
3. Montana (5) 442
4. Portland State 334
5. Cal Poly (1) 323
6. North Dakota 295
7. Weber State (1) 284
8. Southern Utah 258
9. Northern Arizona 242
10. Sacramento State 191
11. UC Davis 135
12. Idaho State 115
13. Northern Colorado 63
BIG SKY COACHES POLL
First-place votes are in parentheses. Total points at right
1. Montana State (7) 136
2. Eastern Washington (4) 131
3. Montana (1) 126
4. Portland State 90
5. Cal Poly 86
6. Weber State 81
7. Northern Arizona 75
8. Southern Utah (1) 74
9. Sacramento State 71
10. North Dakota 68
11. Idaho State 31
12. UC Davis 30
13. Northern Colorado 14
