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Backed by returning FCS Freshman of the Year Case Cookus, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks earned the top spot in both the coaches and media preseason Big Sky Conference poll.

It is the first time the Lumberjacks have been picked to win the conference in both polls, earning eight first-place votes from both the coaches and the media. Just behind Northern Arizona's 287 points in the media poll was Montana, picked second with 283 points and seven first-place votes. Eastern Washington (5), North Dakota (2) and Portland State (3) rounded out the top five with their respective first-place vote totals.

The coaches' top five included the same five schools, albeit in a different order. The Lumberjacks stood atop with 132 points, while Portland State and Montana tied for second with 121. Portland State pulled in two first-place votes while Montana had none. Eastern Washington (two top votes) and North Dakota (one) rounded out the top five.

The next block of schools were again the same in the two polls, with Weber State, defending champion Southern Utah and Montana State sitting sixth to eighth for the media. The order was nearly the same for the coaches, but Southern Utah and Montana State tied for seventh.