Eagles ranked eighth in Big Sky 2026 preseason poll

CHENEY — The Eastern Washington Eagles football team was ranked eighth overall in the Big Sky Conference preseason coaches and media polls, according to a statement by the Big Sky.  

According to EWU Athletics, the Eagles garnered 70 points in the coaches' poll, seven behind Idaho for seventh and 22 ahead of Weber State in ninth. In the media poll, the Eagles earned 246 points, behind Southern Utah, which earned 273, and ahead of ninth-place Cal Poly with 168. 

Eastern finished seventh in the 2025 Big Sky standings after going 4-4 in conference and 5-7 overall.  

The Eagles play seven teams in '26 that they faced last season, going 3-4 in those games. EWU defeated Portland State, Idaho, and Northern Colorado in '25, with losses against Northern Iowa, Montana State, Montana, and Cal Poly.  

The 2026 team returns 11 starters from the '26 team, including seven on defense and four on offense. Eastern retains 33 letterwinners overall from last year's team.  

Among the returning starters are Big Sky All-Conference first team selection Jaylon Jenkins, who recorded five interceptions to tie for fifth in the FCS and second in the conference. The returning starters also include All-Conference honorable mentions Isaiah Perez, Nate Bell, and Drew Carter. 

Last week, Jenkins and Perez were named to Stats Perform preseason All-American teams, with Jenkins on the second team and Perez on the third. Jenkins was also named to the Buck Buchanan watchlist as one of the top defensive players in the nation.  

Sitting atop of both polls are the defending national champion Montana State Bobcats, the Big Sky Conference stated. The Bobcats received 35 first-place votes from the media and 11 from the league's head coaches after a historic end to the 2025 campaign. Montana State captured the Big Sky regular-season championship with a perfect 8-0 conference record before closing the year on a 14-game winning streak, capped by an overtime victory over Illinois State to claim the FCS National Championship in Nashville. 

Montana State has now swept both the coaches and media preseason polls in back-to-back seasons, becoming the first Big Sky team to do so since Weber State claimed the top spot in both polls ahead of the 2021 spring and fall football seasons.  

Montana and UC Davis rounded out the top three in both polls. The Aggies earned two first-place votes in each poll, while Montana collected one first-place vote in the media poll. 

The 2026 Big Sky Football Preseason All-Conference Team and Preseason Most Valuable Players will be announced on Sunday, July 26, ahead of Monday's Media Day.  

The Eagles kick off their season on the road against Northern Arizona on Aug. 29. They return home the next week to play Northern Iowa (Sept. 5) for the first game on Roos Field. 

Big Sky Football Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Montana State (11) – 143
2. Montana – 130
3. UC Davis (2) – 121
4. Northern Arizona – 108
5. Idaho State - 99
6. Southern Utah – 82
7. Idaho – 77
8. Eastern Washington – 70
9. Weber State – 48
10. Northern Colorado – 47
11. Cal Poly – 46
12. Portland State – 24
13. Utah Tech – 19 

Big Sky Football Preseason Media Poll
1. Montana State (35) – 490
2. Montana (1) – 448
3. UC Davis (2) – 421
4. Idaho State – 349
5. Northern Arizona – 339
6. Idaho – 283
7. Southern Utah – 273
8. Eastern Washington – 246
9. Cal Poly – 168
10. Weber State – 155
11. Northern Colorado – 153
12. Portland State – 68
13 Utah Tech – 65 

    The Eagles' quarterback Nate Bell (2) talks with Head Coach Aaron Best on the sideline during their game against Portland State last season. Bell will be a redshirt junior in the 2026 season.
  

    Read Sunn (26), a graduate student from last season, celebrates a defensive play with Myles Mayovsky against Portland State last season.
  

    The Eagles' Landon Cooper (88) races past a Portland State defender for a touchdown last season.