Preseason Projections Point to Competitive Conference Race
The Big Sky Conference released its preseason football polls on Monday, positioning the Idaho Vandals in the middle tier of a 13-team field as the 2026 season approaches. Idaho landed sixth in the media poll and seventh in the coaches poll, setting modest expectations for a program looking to build on recent roster improvements.
Montana State emerged as the overwhelming favorite in both rankings. The Bobcats claimed 11 first-place votes and 143 points in the coaches poll, while garnering 35 first-place votes and 490 points in the media poll. Montana finished second in both polls, followed by UC Davis rounding out the top three.
Idaho’s standing reflects a team in transition under second-year head coach Thomas Ford Jr. The Vandals will rely on eight returning starters and a quarterback room anchored by Joshua Wood, who produced the best rushing season by an Idaho signal caller since Doug Nussmeyer’s 1993 campaign. The program added 21 transfers and secured what Ford described as the strongest high school recruiting class in school history.
Roster Reinforcements and New Coaching Staff
Idaho’s offensive and defensive coordinators, Ian Shoemaker and Lee Stalker, are new to their roles, tasked with integrating the influx of transfers and young talent into a competitive Big Sky lineup. The additions aim to address depth concerns that have hampered the program in recent seasons.
The Vandals earned three contests on linear ESPN networks this season—a program record for television exposure. Idaho’s campaign begins August 28 with a road matchup against Cal Poly at 7 p.m. on ESPN, before returning to Moscow on September 12 to open a six-game home slate against Lamar.
Looking Ahead to Kickoff
Ford, Wood, and running back Cruz Hepburn will represent Idaho at the 2026 Big Sky Kickoff event in Spokane, Washington, ahead of the August 28 season opener. The trip offers an opportunity to build momentum as the conference prepares for its football weekend.
Idaho State ranked fifth in both polls and holds a slight edge on the Vandals in early projections. Northern Arizona, Southern Utah, and Eastern Washington round out the upper-middle tier of the 13-team standings. The Big Sky’s depth suggests a potentially competitive conference race beyond the presumed Montana State and Montana favorites.
For more on the University of Idaho’s athletic and academic programming, see University of Idaho Keeps Campus Alive Year-Round With Summer Camps, Classes, and Community Events and University of Idaho Basketball Team to Host Youth Clinic at Sandpoint High School.
What Comes Next
The Vandals will look to prove the preseason projections underestimate their potential as camp practices begin this summer. Idaho’s opening test against Cal Poly on August 28 will offer the first real measure of whether the roster additions and coaching adjustments have moved the program forward. The home opener against Lamar two weeks later gives fans their first chance to see the 2026 team in Moscow.