HELENA — Montana State leads five Big Sky Conference football teams ranked in the pre-season FCS coaches’ poll.
Two-time defending national champion North Dakota State is ranked first, followed by Montana State and Eastern Washington. Two-time runner-up Sam Houston State is ranked fourth.
Cal Poly is ranked 11th, Northern Arizona is ranked 18th and Montana is ranked 22nd.
The poll was released Tuesday.
FCS Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. North Dakota State (23)
2. Montana State (1)
3. Eastern Washington
4. Sam Houston State (1)
5. Wofford
6. Central Arkansas
7. South Dakota State
8. New Hampshire
9. Villanova
10. Illinois State
11. Cal Poly
12. Towson
13. Stony Brook
14. Richmond
15. James Madison
16. Northern Iowa
17. Lehigh
18. Northern Arizona
19. Eastern Kentucky (1)
20. Bethune-Cookman
21. Coastal Carolina
22. Montana
23. Eastern Illinois
24. Youngstown State
25. Chattanooga