FARMINGTON, Utah — With the 2026 season on the horizon, the Big Sky Conference has released its preseason coaches' and media poll. Eastern Washington football was picked to finish eighth in both polls for the upcoming season.
EWU garnered 70 points in the coaches' poll, seven behind Idaho for seventh and 22 ahead of Weber State in ninth. In the media poll, the Eagles earned 246 points, behind Southern Utah (273) and ahead of ninth-place Cal Poly (168).
Eastern finished seventh in the 2025 Big Sky standings after going 4-4 in conference and 5-7 overall.
The Eagles play seven teams in '26 that they faced last season, going 3-4 in those games. EWU defeated Portland State, Idaho, and Northern Colorado in '25, with losses against Northern Iowa, Montana State, Montana, and Cal Poly.
The 2026 team returns 11 starters from the '26 team, including seven on defense and four on offense. Eastern retains 33 letterwinners overall from last year's team.
Among the returning starters are Big Sky All-Conference first team selection Jaylon Jenkins, who recorded five interceptions to tie for fifth in the FCS and second in the conference. The returning starters also include All-Conference honorable mentions Isaiah Perez, Nate Bell, and Drew Carter.
Last week, Jenkins and Perez were named to Stats Perform preseason All-American teams, with Jenkins on the second team and Perez on the third. Jenkins was also named to the
Buck Buchanan watchlist as one of the top defensive players in the nation.
The Eagles kick off their season on the road against Northern Arizona on Aug. 29. They return home the next week to play Northern Iowa(Sep. 5) for the first game on Roos Field.
Big Sky Football Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Montana State (11) – 143
2. Montana – 130
3. UC Davis (2) – 121
4. Northern Arizona – 108
5. Idaho State - 99
6. Southern Utah – 82
7. Idaho – 77
8. Eastern Washington – 70
9. Weber State – 48
10. Northern Colorado – 47
11. Cal Poly – 46
12. Portland State – 24
13. Utah Tech – 19
*Parentheses denotes first-place vote // Coaches could not vote for their own team
Big Sky Football Preseason Media Poll
1. Montana State (35) – 490
2. Montana (1) – 448
3. UC Davis (2) – 421
4. Idaho State – 349
5. Northern Arizona – 339
6. Idaho – 283
7. Southern Utah – 273
8. Eastern Washington – 246
9. Cal Poly – 168
10. Weber State – 155
11. Northern Colorado – 153
12. Portland State – 68
13 Utah Tech – 65
2026 EWU football season tickets are now on sale! Join Spokane County's team for six home games at Roos Field in Cheney starting as low as $99. 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 tickets and tailgating priority, invitations to special events, exclusive access, and more. Visit goeags.com/eaf for more information.
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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