Pete's Schedule Previews

The 2006 Big Sky Schedules

Key Games:

9/16/2006 Idaho St. at Idaho
9/16/2006 Montana St. vs. UC Davis
9/16/2006 Northern Colorado at Texas St.
10/21/2006 Portland St. vs. Eastern Washington
11/4/2006 Montana vs. Cal Poly
11/18/2006 Montana vs. Montana St.

Pos	Team	Rating
1	Sacramento St.	28.69
2	Portland St.	31.45
3	Northern Colorado	32.73
4	Weber St.	37.16
5	Montana	38.55
6	Northern Arizona	39.53
7	Eastern Washington	41.09
8	Idaho St.	42.24
9	Montana St.	42.54

Pete's 2006 Big Sky Pre-Season Schedule Previews

Sacramento St.: The 2005 Bobcats have the most most difficult schedule in the Big Sky. The non-conference slate includes an opener at Oklahoma St., a home tilt with Stephen F. Austin, and another road match with Cal-Poly. The conference slate is fairly well balanced, with ISU, NAU, and Montana at home; while EWU and upstart PSU will be away for coach Kramer's club.
Portland State: Portland St. is looking to return to some dominance in the Big Sky in 2006, and a schedule like this will make it quite a task for Coach Walsh’s club. In what certainly seems to be the trend, east of the Mississippi, the Vikings will face three IA opponents … New Mexico, California, and Oregon. As mentioned previously, anything short of an outright conference crown should prevent teams with this type of schedule from seeing the post-season.
Northern Colorado: The Bears enter their first season as a member of the Big Sky Conference, and their first under head-coach Scott Downing. Not until 2007, will the Bears will be officially eligible to win the Big Sky Championship, and make the play-off. Their schedule is very strong as well, with the likes of a solid UC-Davis, semi-finalist Texas State, and traditional power Western Illinois. To be honest, this is probably the best schedule in the country, and more AD’s should pay attention to it. In conference action, the bears have Montana and EWU at home, while going to Montana State.
Weber St.: Ron McBride enters his second season at the helm of Weber State, and the Wildcats have a very nice schedule for 2006. Weber will see Southern Utah, Cal-Poly, and IA Colorado State in non-conference action. In conference, Montana and Eastern Washington are at home; while MSU is a road game.
Montana: Montana looks to continue its string of post-season play in 2006, and the schedule has enough challenge to put them there. The OOC contests have the Grizzlies facing SDSU, and Cal-Poly at home, while traveling to the Big-10’s Iowa. The rivalry-week match with MSU will be at home this year.
Northern Arizona: Senior QB Jason Murrietta looks to return his Lumberjacks to winning ways. However, with NAU having another western schedule that has no non-conference I-AA games, it will be hard. The Jacks will face two IA clubs in Arizona St. and Utah, in addition to a sub-IAA game. The Big Sky slate is evenly split …home vs. away.
Eastern Washington: The Eagles also have a pair of IA “money games” on the 2006 schedule …Oregon State and West Virginia. In addition, there is a sub-IAA to make up the remaining OOC spot on the calendar. The Big Sky portion of the schedule is well balanced.
Idaho St.: Idaho State’s 2006 schedule contains a pair of IA’s in former conference foe Idaho, and UNLV. There is also a sub-IAA to round out the non-conference slate. Big Sky schedule is balanced, but a couple of key games are on the road.
Montana St.: If there is any such thing as a “light” schedule in this year’s Big Sky, it contains Colorado and UC-Davis as part of the non-conference action. Montana State does have to travel to Missoula this year.

Pete's 2006 Big Sky Pre-Season Schedule Previews

Eastern Washington
8/31/2006 at Oregon St.
9/9/2006 at West Virginia
9/16/2006 Central Wash.
9/23/2006 at Montana St.
9/30/2006 Sacramento St.
10/7/2006 Montana
10/14/2006 at Northern Colo.
10/21/2006 at Portland St.
10/28/2006 Northern Ariz.
11/4/2006 at Weber St.
11/11/2006 Idaho St.

Idaho St.
9/2/2006 at UNLV
9/9/2006 Fort Lewis
9/16/2006 at Idaho
9/23/2006 Northern Ariz.
10/7/2006 at Northern Colo.
10/14/2006 at Portland St.
10/21/2006 Montana St.
10/28/2006 at Montana
11/4/2006 Sacramento St.
11/11/2006 at Eastern Wash.
11/18/2006 Weber St.

Montana
9/2/2006 at Iowa
9/9/2006 South Dakota St.
9/23/2006 Sacramento St.
9/30/2006 at Portland St.
10/7/2006 at Eastern Wash.
10/14/2006 Northern Ariz.
10/21/2006 at Weber St.
10/28/2006 Idaho St.
11/4/2006 Cal Poly
11/11/2006 at Northern Colo.
11/18/2006 Montana St.

Montana St.
9/2/2006 at Colorado
9/9/2006 Chadron St.
9/16/2006 UC Davis
9/23/2006 Eastern Wash.
9/30/2006 at Northern Ariz.
10/7/2006 Portland St.
10/14/2006 at Sacramento St.
10/21/2006 at Idaho St.
10/28/2006 Weber St.
11/4/2006 Northern Colo.
11/18/2006 at Montana

Northern Arizona
8/31/2006 at Arizona St.
9/9/2006 at Utah
9/16/2006 Dixie St.
9/23/2006 at Idaho St.
9/30/2006 Montana St.
10/14/2006 at Montana
10/21/2006 Sacramento St.
10/28/2006 at Eastern Wash.
11/4/2006 Portland St.
11/11/2006 Weber St.
11/18/2006 at Northern Colo.

Northern Colorado
9/2/2006 UC-Davis
9/9/2006 at Portland St.
9/16/2006 at Texas St.
9/23/2006 Western Illinois
9/29/2006 at Weber St.
10/7/2006 Idaho St.
10/14/2006 Eastern Washington
10/28/2006 at Sacramento St.
11/4/2006 at Montana St.
11/11/2006 Montana
11/18/2006 Northern Arizona

Portland St.
9/2/2006 at New Mexico
9/9/2006 Northern Colo.
9/16/2006 at California
9/23/2006 at Weber St.
9/30/2006 Montana
10/7/2006 at Montana St.
10/14/2006 Idaho St.
10/21/2006 Eastern Wash.
10/28/2006 at Oregon
11/4/2006 at Northern Ariz.
11/11/2006 at Sacramento St.

Sacramento St.
8/31/2006 at Boise St.
9/16/2006 Cal Poly
9/23/2006 at Montana
9/30/2006 at Eastern Wash.
10/7/2006 Weber St.
10/14/2006 Montana St.
10/21/2006 at Northern Ariz.
10/28/2006 Northern Colo.
11/4/2006 at Idaho St.
11/11/2006 Portland St.
11/18/2006 at UC Davis

Weber St.
9/2/2006 at Colorado St.
9/9/2006 Cal Poly
9/16/2006 Southern Utah
9/23/2006 Portland St.
9/29/2006 Northern Colo.
10/7/2006 at Sacramento St.
10/21/2006 Montana
10/28/2006 at Montana St.
11/4/2006 Eastern Wash.
11/11/2006 at Northern Ariz.
11/18/2006 at Idaho St.