BUTTE — The Frontier Conference had a strong showing in the latest NAIA top 25 football poll.
College of Idaho topped the list with a No. 1 ranking followed by Montana Tech at No. 6, Carroll College at No. 13 and Dakota State at No. 22. Montana Western was receiving votes.
Those teams and most of the Frontier are now set to open divisional play this weekend. This will be the second season of the expanded league and six-game divisional slate, with the Frontier crowning an East and West champion and both of those teams earning automatic bids to the postseason.
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College of Idaho won the inaugural Frontier West division last season while Tech clinched the Frontier East. The Yotes defeated the Orediggers in the 2025 national quarterfinals to punch a ticket to the semis.
"Extremely strong," Tech head coach Kyle Samson said of the current state of the Frontier. "We're going into our sixth game and we're playing our fifth top-25 opponent. Very tough, very great teams and that definitely speaks high to our conference. It's a challenge every single week."
Tech (4-1) was dealt its first loss of the season last week at C of I (4-0). Elsewhere in the Frontier East, Rocky Mountain College is sitting at 1-3 — with its lone victory coming against Montana Western — while MSU-Northern (0-5) is still searching for its first win of the season. The Lights are idle this weekend.
In the Frontier West, Western is 2-2 and Carroll College is 3-1 with its only defeat so far coming against Tech.
Tech will open divisional play at Dakota State, Western will host Southern Oregon, Carroll will host Arizona Christian and Rocky Mountain College will host Valley City State.
"We know it's a whole new season now," said Samson. "And we're excited. We're excited for the opportunity to get back to work, and our guys will be ready."
