Idaho's Vandals, Big Sky Conference football champions for five of the last eight seasons, have been picked as the preseason favorite to do it again.
The league said Tuesday both a poll of conference football coaches and a poll of reporters covering the league predict Idaho will repeat as champions.Fifth-year coach John L. Smith has the league's top returning quarterback, Doug Nussmeier. The Vandals, 9-3 last season, 6-1 in Big Sky, tied with Eastern Washington for last year's title but lost 33-20 to McNeese State in the first round of the Division I-AA playoffs.
Nussmeier, Montana free safety Todd Ericson and Idaho State linebacker Kevin Kempf were picked as the preseason players of the year. Nussmeier was projected as the league's top offensive player, Ericson on defense and Kempf as top newcomer.
It's the fourth time that Idaho has been selected by both polls as the preseason favorite.
Both polls picked Montana, 6-5 last season, as runnerup, followed by Eastern Washington and Boise State. The coaches' poll put Northern Arizona in fifth place, followed by Montana State, Weber State and Idaho State. The media selected Weber fifth, followed by Idaho State, NAU and Montana State.
The first Big Sky league game won't be until Sept. 18 when Idaho is at Weber and Idaho State is at Montana. Nonconference action starts Sept. 2 when Idaho plays at Stephen F. Austin State in Texas.
In both polls, Montana and Eastern Washington were the only teams to receive first-place support besides Idaho.
The coaches gave Idaho all the first-place ballots except one.