(Editor's note: University of Montana news release)
MISSOULA — Montana, which returns eight starters from a team that went unbeaten in league play last fall, was picked to repeat as the Big Sky Conference regular-season champion, the league office announced on Monday.
The Grizzlies, who open their season this week with the Rumble in the Rockies, picked up five of the preseason poll’s nine first-place votes, with Northern Arizona, Idaho and Northern Colorado receiving the others.
It’s the first time since 2001 that Montana has been picked first in the poll for a fall season, the Grizzlies’ seventh time being picked first overall.
Montana was picked fourth in last year’s preseason poll, then went on to have a record-breaking season, going 7-0-1 in league to win its ninth Big Sky regular-season title and 13-3-3 overall.
The Grizzlies, the No. 1 seed, lost 1-0 to No. 4 Northern Arizona in the semifinals of the Big Sky tournament in November on NAU’s home field, Montana’s first loss in more than seven weeks.
No. 2 Idaho would defeat the Lumberjacks 1-0 in the championship match.
Those three teams — Montana, Northern Arizona and Idaho — who have been the Big Sky representative at five of the past six NCAA tournaments, received eight of the nine first-place votes in the poll.
Montana gets both Northern Arizona and Idaho in Missoula this fall, hosting the Lumberjacks on Sunday, Sept. 29, to open its league schedule, and the Vandals on Thursday, Oct. 10.
Portland State and Sacramento State rounded out the top five in the poll.
Montana returns all four of its United Soccer Coaches All-West Region selections from a year ago and all five of its first-team All-Big Sky picks.
2024 Big Sky Preseason Coaches’ Poll
First-place votes in parentheses
1. Montana (5) – 56
2. Northern Arizona (1) – 51
3. Idaho (2) – 47
4. Portland State – 37
5. Sacramento State – 36
6. Weber State – 31
7. Idaho State – 23
8. Eastern Washington – 22
9. Northern Colorado (1) – 21
