CHENEY, Wash. — It's July and that means it's time for the 2025 Big Sky Football Kickoff Weekend. The conference hosts its annual media event this weekend (July 18-21) at Northern Quest Resort and Casino in Spokane. Head Coach
Aaron Best, along with senior quarterback
Jared Taylor and senior cornerback
DaJean Wells will represent Eastern Washington football at the event.
The weekend begins with the Big Sky hosting the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Summer Meeting on Friday (July 18), with members traveling from all 10 full time conference members to share ideas and provide input on a variety of issues related to their student-athlete experience. Eastern will be represented by Eagle SAAC president, Rhiannon Davies (Track & Field) and Jake Schakel (Football).
The weekend continues with the Youth Football Clinic at North Central High School in Spokane on Saturday (July 19). Taylor and Wells both will be in attendance to interact with local kids (8th grade or young) through various football drills. Fans can sign up for the clinic online at BigSkyConf.com/YouthClinic.
Saturday night will be the Big Sky Hall of Fame Gala, starting at 6:30 PM Pacific Time.
Big Sky Football Kickoff weekend concludes with media day on Monday (July 21), starting at 9 a.m. PT. The Big Sky Football Kickoff live show will be broadcast on ESPN+ and Scripps Sports with interviews of all 12 conference teams.
SWX will also be broadcasting live on Monday, including live interviews with Coach Best, Taylor and Wells.
Best is beginning his ninth season at the helm for Eastern and 29th in total at the program.
Taylor enters his first season as the quarterback-one for the Eagles, but is in his third season with the team. The Lakewood, Wash. native rushed for 708 yards last season, scoring 10 touchdowns to lead EWU and rank seventh in the conference - 37th in the FCS. Taylor made one start last season against No. 2 Montana State, completing 74.1 percent of his passes for 144 yards, throwing for two touchdowns and one interception.
Wells ranked 16th in the nation and second in the Big Sky with 12 pass breakups last season, earning All-Big Sky Honorable mention and All-Big Sky second team from Phil Steele. Wells recorded 32.0 tackles, making 22 solo, to rank eighth on the team.
ESPN+ / Scripps Sports Schedule (All times are PT and approximate)
9:11 a.m. - Montana State: Brent Vigen (HC), JT Reed (OL), Kenneth Eiden IV (DL)
9:27 a.m. - Weber State: Mickey Mental (HC), Gavin Ortega (OL), Matt Herron (DL)
9:44 a.m. - Sacramento State: Brennan Marion (HC), Aidan Meek (OL), Xavier Williams (DL)
10:15 a.m. - UC Davis: Tim Plough (HC), Samuel Gbatu, Jr. (WR), Rex Connors (DB)
10:31 a.m. - Cal Poly: Paul Wulff (HC), Michael Briscoe (WR), Ethan Rodriguez (DL)
10:46 a.m. - Portland State: Bruce Barnum (HC), Tanner Beaman (TE), Spencer Elliott (DL)
11:23 a.m. - Northern Arizona: Brian Wright (HC), Ty Pennington (QB), Fou Ho Ching (DL)
11:37 a.m. - Northern Colorado: Ed Lamb (HC), Jack Ziebell (OL), Cam Chapa (DB)
11:50 a.m. - Montana: Bobby Hauck (HC), Dillon Botner (OL), Kellen Detrick (DL)
12:04 p.m. - Idaho State: Cody Hawkins (HC), Stryker Rashid (OL), Nathan Reynolds (LB)
12:36 p.m. - Idaho: Thomas Ford Jr. (HC), Nate Azzopardi (OL), Sam Brown (DL)
12:49 p.m. - Eastern Washington: Aaron Best, Jared Taylor, DaJean Wells
SWX Schedule
9:34: Tom Wistrcill (Big Sky)
9:44: Reed / Eiden IV (MSU)
9:52: Vigen (MSU)
10:02: Hauck (UM)
10:10: Botner / Detrick (UM)
10:18: Ford (Idaho)
10:26: Azzopardi / Brown (Idaho)
10:34: Aaron Best
10:42: Jared Taylor /
DaJean Wells
2025 Big Sky Hall of Fame Class (Alphabetical Order)
Cass Bauer-Bilodeau, Women's Basketball, Montana State
Charles "Chip" Dunn, Football, Portland State
Tim Hauck, Football, Montana
David McNeill, Men's Cross Country/Track and Field, Northern Arizona
Ida Nilsson, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field, Northern Arizona
Johanna Nilsson, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field, Northern Arizona
Doug Nussmeier, Football, Idaho
Dan O'Brien, Men's Track and Field, Idaho
Naseby Rhinehart, Athletic Trainer, Montana
Arnie Sgalio, Administrator, Big Sky Conference
2025 EWU football tickets are now on sale! Join Spokane County's team for all five home games at Roos Field in Cheney starting as low as $99. Group tickets, fundraising options and single game tickets are also available. For more info, visit goeags.com/fbtickets or contact the EWU Ticket Office at 509-359-6059 or tickets@ewu.edu.
Join the Eagle Athletic Fund for as low as $50 per year! Support Eagle student-athletes on and off the field while enjoying exclusive EAF perks such as season ticket and tailgating priority, invitations to special events, exclusive access, and more. Visit goeags.com/eaf for more information.
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.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
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