FARMINGTON, Utah — For the first time in league history, four regular-season Big Sky Conference football games have been selected for national linear distribution by ESPN’s family of networks. The announcement from ESPN comes as the network released its national telecast lineup for 2025 college football season on Thursday, with four Big Sky games being among those selections.
The four matchups selected by ESPN will feature Idaho, Montana, Montana State, Northern Arizona, Sacramento State and UC Davis.
The full national TV schedule Includes:
- Saturday, Sept. 27: Idaho at Montana (TBD Time & Network)
- Friday, Oct. 24: Montana at Sacramento State (8:30 p.m. MT // ESPN2)
- Friday, Oct. 31: Idaho at Northern Arizona (8:30 p.m. MT // ESPN2)
- Saturday, Nov. 15: UC Davis at Montana State (TBD Time & Network)
The first game selected for linear broadcast will feature Idaho traveling to Montana for the renewal of the Little Brown Stein rivalry on Saturday, Sept. 27, with the game airing on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. The network designation and kickoff time will be announced at a later date.
The Big Sky will have back-to-back weeks with Friday night games on ESPN2 in late October, as Montana travels to Sacramento State on Oct. 24, before Idaho faces off against Northern Arizona on Oct. 31. Both ESPN2 games are slated for 8:30 p.m. MT kickoffs.
The final linear network game selected will pit two of the best Big Sky teams from a season ago, as UC Davis faces off against Montana State on Saturday, Nov. 15, with the game airing on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. The network designation and kickoff time will be announced at a later date.
The six Big Sky teams selected for linear games this fall finished with a combined 56-27 record in 2024 and have made at least one trip to the FCS Playoffs in the last two seasons. All six teams were ranked in the Hero Sports FCS Preseason Poll earlier this week, with Montana State (No. 2), Montana (No. 7), Idaho (No. 10), UC Davis (No. 11), Sacramento State (No. 12) and Northern Arizona (No. 19) slated inside the top 25.
Thursday's ESPN network designations are part of its new deal with the Big Sky Conference, which begins in the 2025-26 athletic year and goes through 2029-30. The new contract doubles the Big Sky’s exposure for nationally televised football games, with a minimum of four regular-season contests televised on a Friday or Saturday. A minimum of two of those games will air on ESPN or ESPN2.
Since the Big Sky’s latest partnership with ESPN began in 2021, the league has had eight of its football teams (more than half of the league) featured on linear network conference games on ESPN2 or ESPNU.
A full release of network designations and kickoff times for all Big Sky Conference football games will be announced at a later date.
Big Sky Football Regular-Season ESPN Linear Games Since 2021
10/2/21: Montana at Eastern Washington (ESPN2)
10/15/21: Montana State at Weber State (ESPNU)
10/1/22: UC Davis at Montana State (ESPNU)
10/22/22: Montana at Sacramento State (ESPN2)
10/14/23: Montana at Idaho (ESPN2)
10/21/23: Montana State at Sacramento State (ESPN2)
10/12/24: Idaho at Montana State (ESPN2)
11/9/24: UC Davis at Montana (ESPN2)
9/27/25: Idaho at Montana (TBD Network)
10/24/25: Montana at Sacramento State (ESPN2)
10/31/25: Idaho at Northern Arizona (ESPN2)
11/15/25: UC Davis at Montana State (TBD Network)
