After being picked to win the Big Sky Conference title race by the league’s coaches and media, the Montana Grizzlies slotted in at No. 3 on the Stats Perform Preseason Top-25 on Monday.
The Griz were the highest-ranked out of six teams from the Big Sky to earn a place on the first national media poll of the year, the most ranked teams of any FCS conference.
In narrow voting, No. 3 Montana edged out Montana State at No. 4 with just 15 points separating the Treasure State rivals. Defending conference champion Sacramento State was picked at No. 7, Eastern Washington came in at No. 13, Weber State at No. 20, and UC Davis made the cut at No. 25.
With South Dakota sitting just outside the Top-25 with 151 votes, Montana now has five teams from the poll on its 2022 schedule. The Griz face the daunting task of having to travel to face Montana State, Sacramento State, and Weber State on the road. South Dakota (Sept. 10) and Eastern Washington (Nov. 12) will take on Montana in Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
Defending national champion North Dakota State was picked to repeat at No. 1 in the poll, with fellow Missouri Valley powerhouse South Dakota State coming in at No. 2. Missouri State of the MVFC rounded out the top-five after Montana and Montana State. The MVFC to five Top-25 selections, while CAA Football had the third-most with four, led by No. 6 Villanova.
UM was also picked at No. 3 earlier this season in the Athlon Sports preseason FCS poll, while HERO Sports tabbed the Griz at No. 4 in its preseason poll.
A national media panel selects the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.
Montana returns 18 starters from the 2021 FCS quarterfinal squad, nine on offense and nine on defense, with 38 total returning lettermen. The Griz also return seven All-Big Sky performers, including Newcomer of the Year and unanimous All-American cornerback Justin Ford . Buck Buchanan Award finalist linebacker Patrick O’Connell also returns for his senior campaign.
Last week, Ford, O’Connell, and Robby Hauck were each named to the 2022 preseason watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award that goes to the nation’s top defender.
Montana will hold its first practice of fall camp on Monday, Aug. 8, at Dornblaser Field.
Season and single-game tickets are available now at GrizTix.com .
STATS PERFORM FCS PRESEASON TOP 25
1. North Dakota State (14-1, 7-1 Missouri Valley), 1,348 points (52 first-place votes)Season Opener: Sept. 3 vs. Drake
2. South Dakota State (11-4, 5-3 Missouri Valley), 1,285 (2)Season Opener: Sept. 3 at Iowa
3. Montana (10-3, 6-2 Big Sky), 1,218 Season Opener: Sept. 3 vs. Northwestern State
4. Montana State (12-3, 7-1 Big Sky), 1,203Season Opener: Sept. 3 vs. McNeese
5. Missouri State (8-4, 6-2 Missouri Valley), 1066Season Opener: Sept. 1 at Central Arkansas
6. Villanova (10-3, 7-1 CAA), 997Season Opener: Sept. 2 vs. Lehigh
7. Sacramento State (9-3, 8-0 Big Sky), 991Season Opener: Sept. 3 vs. Utah Tech
8. Kennesaw State (11-2, 6-0 Big South), 959Season Opener: Sept. 1 at Samford
9. Southern Illinois (8-5, 5-3 Missouri Valley), 915Season Opener: Sept. 3 at UIW
10. Stephen F. Austin (8-4, 4-2 ASUN-WAC), 813Season Opener: Aug. 27 vs. Jacksonville State (in Montgomery, Alabama)
11. ETSU (11-2, 7-1 Southern), 750Season Opener: Sept. 1 vs. Mars Hill
12. Chattanooga (6-5, 5-3 Southern), 562Season Opener: Sept. 3 vs. Wofford
13. Eastern Washington (10-3, 6-2 Big Sky), 538Season Opener: Sept. 3 vs. Tennessee State
14. UIW (10-3, 7-1 Southland), 533Season Opener: Sept. 3 vs. Southern Illinois
15. Jackson State (11-2, 8-0 SWAC), 515Season Opener: Sept. 4 vs. Florida A&M (in Miami Gardens, Florida)
16. Holy Cross (10-3, 6-0 Patriot), 503Season Opener: Sept. 2 at Merrimack
17. Southeastern Louisiana (9-4, 6-2 Southland), 440Season Opener: Sept. 3 at Louisiana
18. UT Martin (10-3, 5-1 Ohio Valley), 404Season Opener: Sept. 1 vs. Western Illinois
19. Delaware (5-6, 3-5 CAA), 401Season Opener: Sept. 3 at Navy
20. Weber State (6-5, 5-3 Big Sky), 391Season Opener: Sept. 1 vs. Western Oregon
21. Northern Iowa (6-6, 4-4 Missouri Valley), 289Season Opener: Sept. 3 at Air Force
22. Rhode Island (7-4, 4-4 CAA), 242Season Opener: Sept. 1 at Stony Brook
23. Mercer (7-3, 6-2 Southern), 215Season Opener: Aug. 27 vs. Morehead State
24. Richmond (6-5, 4-4 CAA), 166Season Opener: Sept. 3 at Virginia
25. UC Davis (8-4, 5-3 Big Sky), 153Season Opener: Sept. 3 at California
Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): South Dakota (7-5, 5-3 Missouri Valley) 151, Eastern Kentucky (7-4, 4-2 ASUN-WAC) 129, Florida A&M (9-3, 7-1 SWAC) 78, William & Mary (6-5, 4-4 CAA) 66, Dartmouth (9-1, 6-1 Ivy) 59, Monmouth (7-4, 6-1 Big South) 23, Harvard (8-2, 5-2 Ivy) 19, Princeton (9-1, 6-1 Ivy) 18, Central Arkansas (5-6, 3-3 ASUN-WAC) 14, Furman (6-5, 4-4 Southern) 14, South Carolina State (7-5, 5-0 MEAC) 13, Sacred Heart (8-4, 6-1 Northeast) 12, Elon (6-5, 5-3 CAA) 8, North Carolina A&T (5-6, 3-4 Big South) 4
