The final two weeks of the Big Sky Conference regular season are approaching, bringing high-stakes matchups for teams competing for playoff positions, according to a November 12 opinion piece by Brett Hein. The upcoming schedule features critical games for several programs as they attempt to secure postseason berths.
No. 18 Weber State (6-4, 5-2 Big Sky) is scheduled to play No. 5 Northern Arizona (8-2, 6-1) this week. A victory for Northern Arizona would maintain their contention for a conference championship, while a Weber State win could place the Wildcats strongly within the playoff bubble. Weber State will later host Utah Tech as their season closer.
Other critical matchups include Idaho State facing No. 12 Montana (7-3, 5-2) in an ESPN2 night game, followed by a game against rival Idaho (5-5, 5-2). Montana is currently looking to secure a top-eight seed and a first-round playoff bye. Idaho, which is 5-2 in the Big Sky, will host UC Davis (6-4, 4-3) before facing Idaho State.
In the FBS subdivision, the College Football Playoff is set to expand to 24 teams in 2027. Under the new rules, non-power conferences will receive only one autobid awarded to the highest-rated conference champion among them. This differs from the FCS model, where the NCAA controls the national playoff and includes autobids for various subdivisions, including the Pioneer Football League and the Ivy League.
The FCS playoff system utilizes seeding, home-hosted games, and conference champion autobids to determine titles on the field. In contrast, critics suggest the FBS expansion may favor the Big Ten and SEC, potentially limiting the competitive meritocracy seen in other tournament formats.
The Big Sky title could potentially be decided in the final week during a matchup between Montana and Montana State.
Montana State currently holds first place (9-1, 6-1) following a three-overtime victory against No. 22 Idaho State (6-4, 3-4) last week.
