The Eastern Washington University football team has been picked to finish fourth in the Big Sky Conference by both the coaches and media in polls released Thursday (July 23) at the Big Sky Conference Virtual Media Days in Spokane.
 
Thursday's first day of the two-day event included interviews with all 13 league head coaches. The event continues Friday at 9 a.m. Pacific time with interviews with players from each league school, including EWU preseason All-America quarterback Eric Barriere. The preseason all-conference team for the league will be announced on Friday as well.
 
Eastern finished behind Weber State, Montana and Montana State in the polls, and just ahead of 2019 NCAA Football Championships Subdivision playoff participant Sacramento State. The Hornets – coached by former Eagle offensive coordinator Troy Taylor -- were fifth in each poll, with UC Davis right behind in sixth in both.
 
After that, Nos. 7-9 were mixed between Portland State, Idaho and Northern Arizona. Cal Poly, whose new head coach is former EWU head coach Beau Baldwin, was No. 10 in both polls. The bottom three – Idaho State, Southern Utah and Northern Colorado – were also all identical in the two rankings.
 
Eastern received one first-place vote in both polls, and finished with 118 points by the coaches and 438 from the media. Weber State led the way with 135 points and seven of the 13 first-place votes cast by the coaches, and had 546 points and 28 of the 44 first-place votes in the media poll.
 
Since winning the league and NCAA Division I titles in 2010, Eastern has won Big Sky championships in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018, giving the Eagles a total of 10 league titles. Eastern is expected to return 11 starters and 49 total letterwinners from last year's team, which finished 7-5 overall and in a tie for third in the league with a 6-2 record. The Eagles lost 11 starters and 21 total letterwinners from that squad.
 
The last two seasons, Eastern was picked No. 1 in both polls -- the third time since 2014 the Eagles have been picked No. 1 in both polls, and in 2015 EWU was selected first by the media. In 2016 the Eagles were fourth by the coaches and third by the media, and in 2017 Eastern was second in both. In 2013, EWU was second in both as well.
 
Two-time defending Big Sky champion Weber State is picked to repeat the title in both polls, followed by Montana and Montana State. All three of those teams advanced to the FCS Playoffs in 2019, and Eastern is scheduled to play all three of those opponents at home this fall at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash.
 
Beyond that in the Coaches' Poll, EWU is scheduled to host No. 9 Idaho and go on the road to play No. 6 UC Davis, No. 8 Portland State, No. 12 Southern Utah and No. 13 Northern Colorado. Eastern also has a non-conference home game versus No. 7 Northern Arizona, and is not scheduled to play No. 5 Sacramento State, No. 10 Cal Poly and No. 11 Idaho State.
 
 

2020 Preseason Football Polls

() Denotes First-Place Votes

Coaches' Poll
1. Weber State – 135 (7)
2. Montana – 128 (3)
3. Montana State – 121 (1)
4. Eastern Washington – 118 (1)
5. Sacramento State – 99 (1)
6. UC Davis - 83
7. Northern Arizona - 68
8. Portland State - 67
9. Idaho – 66
10. Cal Poly – 46
11. Idaho State - 37
12. Southern Utah - 33
13. Northern Colorado - 13
 
Media Poll
1. Weber State – 546 (28)
2. Montana – 496 (8)
3. Montana State – 493 (6)
4. Eastern Washington – 438 (1)
5. Sacramento State – 389
6. UC Davis – 325 (1)
7. Portland State - 274
8. Idaho - 273
9. Northern Arizona – 238
10. Cal Poly – 206
11. Idaho State - 133
12. Southern Utah - 105
13. Northern Colorado - 88