CHENEY, Wash. – Eastern Washington will be well-represented at this 2023 Big Sky Football Kickoff Weekend at Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Spokane, Wash., with veteran standouts WR
Efton Chism III and CB
Darrien Sampson joining head coach
Aaron Best at the annual media event. This year has added excitement for EWU fans as Eastern alumni Michael Roos and Kim Exner will be honored as part of the Big Sky Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday.
The festivities will run from July 22-24 at Northern Quest with both events available to be watched on a variety of platforms.
Both the
Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and
Big Sky Football Kickoff Live Show will be streaming on ESPN+, giving fans an opportunity to learn all about this year's Hall of Fame class and upcoming college football season.
As announced in March, Eagle legends Michael Roos and Kim Exner will become the first Eagles to be inducted to the Big Sky Hall of Fame, in its second-ever class. Exner (1995-98) was a two-time conference MVP and helped lead Eagle volleyball to two conference championships, including a berth to the NCAA Tournament in 1998. Roos (2001-04) was a four-year star for the Eags on the gridiron, earning five different All-America honors and NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (then I-AA) Lineman of the Year as a senior in 2004. He went on to have a prolific 10-year professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He has also been a standout ambassador for Eagle Athletics, including him and his wife providing the principal donation to the red turf project at what is now Roos Field in Cheney.
Chism III is a two-time All-Big Sky Wide Receiver entering his junior year. He racked up 62 receptions for 607 yards and 6 touchdowns last season while also serving as the team's primary kick returner. Sampson is a redshirt senior cornerback out of South Seattle with 38 career games played including 27 starts. The dynamic leader has 72 career tackles, 3 interceptions, 2.5 tackles for loss and 9 pass deflections to his resume.
The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. PT on Sunday, July 23 and the Big Sky Football Kickoff Live Show will start at 9 a.m. PT on Monday, July 24.
Scripps SPORTS will also be livestreaming the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, along with its own show live from the Big Sky Football Kickoff on Monday morning, on the following streaming platforms:
KPAX Missoula
KTVQ Billings
KBZK Bozeman
KRTV Great Falls
KTVH Helena
KIVI Boise
KSTU Salt Lake
KSBY San Luis Obispo
KNXV Phoenix
KMGH Denver
Additionally, SWX will also have a live presence on Monday morning at the Big Sky Football Kickoff.
Below you can find the lineup for the Big Sky's ESPN+ programming on Monday starting at 9 a.m. PT.
Follow the Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky and TikTok for all the latest news around the league and use the hashtag #ExperienceElevated.
2023 Big Sky Football Kickoff Live Show (ESPN+)
9:15 a.m. – Cal Poly (Wulff/Weichman/Ngaluafe)
9:30 a.m. – Northern Arizona (Ball/Hall/Ho Ching)
9:44 a.m. – Weber State (Mental/Atagi/Reid)
10:05 a.m. – Montana State (Vigen/Chambers/Askelson)
10:38 a.m. – Idaho State (Hawkins/Davis/Pitcher)
10:54 a.m. – UC Davis (Hawkins/Hastings/Connors)
11:08 a.m. – Northern Colorado (Lamb/Sirmon/Hoage)
11:29 a.m. – Portland State (Barnum/Chachere/Henry)
11:50 a.m. – Montana (Hauck/Forbes/Cotton)
12:04 p.m. – Sacramento State (Thompson/Martin/Bailey)
12:29 p.m. – Eastern Washington (Best/Chism III/Sampson)
12:43 p.m. – Idaho (Eck/Hatten/Jackson)
*All Times Listed PT
