It’s a whole new world for the Big Sky, as four new teams enter the fold; all of the former Great West teams save South Dakota have joined the party. That’s Cal-Davis, Cal Poly, North Dakota, and Southern Utah if you weren’t paying attention. The conference how has thirteen members; each team will play an eight-game conference schedule, and a complex new tie-breaking procedure is in place for the league’s autobid.
Montana State is the clear team to beat, having ruled the roost all year last year right up until they ran into arch-rival Montana. This year, Montana’s not as much of a threat (more on this in a bit) and the only other credible danger comes from Eastern Washington, a team that’s hard to put a finger on after last year’s injury-plagued debacle.
Quick notes on each team after the jump.