OGDEN, UTAH (July 20, 2010) –   A coaching change hasn’t swayed the opinion of the Montana Grizzly football program – at least not in the minds of Big Sky Conference coaches and media. The preseason polls were released Tuesday, and the Grizzlies are heavily favored to win a 13th straight Big Sky Conference football championship. 

     Despite the loss of NFL draft picks Marc Mariani and Shann Schillinger, the coaches unanimously voted Montana No. 1. The Grizzlies received eight first-place votes and 64 total points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. In the media poll, 40 of the 42 voters penciled Montana at the top of the ballot. The Grizzlies received 356 total points.

     Under Bobby Hauck, Montana won its first 14 games in 2009 before falling to Villanova 23-21 in the Division I National Championship game. Montana had advanced to the FCS playoffs a record 17 straight seasons. The Grizzlies have also won 15 straight conference games and 31 of their last 32.  Montana’s 12 straight conference titles is second all-time in Division I history behind Oklahoma’s 14 straight from 1946-1959.

     The coaches and media picked all nine teams in the same order, with spots two through five very tight. Eastern Washington, which went 8-4 last season and earned an at-large bid to the playoffs, was selected second. Beau Baldwin’s Eagles earned one first-place vote in the media poll and 280 total points. In the coaches’ poll, the Eagles earned 51 points.

     Montana State was tabbed third, finishing getting 279 points from the media, and 48 from the coaches. Weber State, a playoff qualifier in 2008 and 2009, was picked fourth. Northern Arizona earned one first-place vote from the coaches and one from the media, but was picked to finish fifth by both entities, with 41 points from the coaches and 240 from the media.

     Sacramento State, Northern Colorado, Portland State and Idaho State rounded out the polls. Portland State is the other team in the league with a new coach. Nigel Burton, the Nevada defensive coordinator the past two seasons, takes over for Jerry Glanville.

     The 2010 season begins on Thursday, Sept. 2 with Eastern Washington and Northern Arizona in action. The seven other Sky teams open on Saturday, Sept. 4.

     The 2010 Division I National Championship will be played on Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The FCS playoff field expands from 16 to 20 teams this season. Eight teams will play first-round games on Saturday, Nov. 27. Twelve teams – included five seeded squads – earn byes to the second round on Saturday, Dec. 4.

COACHES POLL

1. Montana (8)................................................ 64

2. Eastern Washington................................ 51

3. Montana State............................................ 48

4. Weber State........................... 44

5. Northern Arizona (1)................................. 41

6. Sacramento State..................................... 30

7. Northern Colorado.................................... 19

8. Portland State............................................ 18

9. Idaho State................................................. 10

MEDIA POLL

1. Montana (40).............................................. 374

2. Eastern Washington (1).......................... 280

3. Montana State............................................ 279

4. Weber State........................... 269

5. Northern Arizona (1)................................. 240

6. Sacramento State..................................... 166

7. Northern Colorado.................................... 128

8. Portland State............................................ 89

9. Idaho State................................................. 62