Big Sky Breakdown

Northern Arizona quarterback Ty Pennington talks about his Oklahoma roots, his college journey so far and his aspirations for his senior season with Samuel Akem & Colter Nuanez at this year's Big Sky Kickoff media event. 

Cal Poly All-American linebacker Mikey D'Amato joins Colter Nuanez and Samuel Akem to talk about his football roots, what gives him his edge and his pursuit of a second straight All-American season. 

Idaho State quarterback Jordan Cooke joins Colter Nuanez and Samuel Akem to talk about his journey in Pocatello, how he's grown under Cody Hawkins' tutelage and his aspirations for his final season. 

Eastern Washington defensive tackle Isaiah Perez joins Colter Nuanez and Samuel Akem at the Big Sky Kickoff to talk family, what keeps him at EWU, his off-season weight gain and the prospects for the Eagles heading into the 2026 season. 

Montana head coach Bobby Kennedy, offensive line coach Brent Myers, senior offensive tackle Austin Buehler & junior OT Torin Jeske analyzed the Griz offensive line following Tuesday's fall camp practice. 

Samuel Akem joins Colter Nuanez to go through some of the former FCS standouts battling to make NFL rosters plus the duo picks over/under win totals for the best teams in the Big Sky Conference.

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen talks about his team's visit to the White House, the collective mentality of his program and plenty of specifics about his roster with this long-form sit down with Colter Nuanez. 

Montana State sophomore wide receiver Dane Steel talked with Colter Nuanez about the MSU wide receivers room, the Bobcat off-season and chasing another national title. 

Montana State senior linebacker Bryce Grebe talks with Colter Nuanez about MSU's off-season

Montana State sophomore punter Colby Frojker, a preseason All-Big Sky selection, checks in to talk about his progressions this off-season and his burgeoning golf career.

After a much-maligned start to his career, Zac Crews has emerged as one of the premier defensive ends in the Big Sky Conference. He was named to the preseason All-Big Sky team entering his senior season. On July 30, he sat down with Skyline Sports to talk about his journey.

UC Davis head coach Tim Plough joined Colter Nuanez & Samuel Akem at the Big Sky Kickoff in Spokane, Washington to talk about the evolution of the league, replacing a stud quarterback and the outlook for the No. 6 Aggies.

Samuel Akem joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now for this week's "Inside the FCS" to talk about the recently released preseason Top 25, dark horse contenders to make playoff runs and early impressions from Griz fall camp. 

Jordan Tripp, a former Griz & NFL linebacker, sat down with Colter Nuanez and Samuel Akem at the Big Sky Kickoff media event to discuss his first year working for Scripps as a color commentator TV broadcaster and his thoughts on the league + his thoughts on the 2026 Griz.

Montana head coach Bobby Kennedy, defensive coordinator Eric Sanders (8:01), senior linebacker Clay Oven (13:10) and super senior linebacker Solomon Tuliapupu (19:42) talked about UM's revamped defense following fall camp practice on August 4, 2026.

Montana State offensive coordinator Pete Sterbick joins Colter Nuanez to talk about Justin Lamson's development, key fall camp position battles and how to motivate a team coming off its first national title in 41 years. 

Bobby Daly is back as the defensive coordinator at Montana State. He sat down with Colter Nuanez to review the challenges & question marks for the MSU defense as the Bobcats try to defend their national championship. 

Billings West senior Walker Olson is one of the top recruits in the state of Montana. He committed to the Grizzlies earlier this summer. Olson joined Colter Nuanz on Nuanez Now, ESPN MT, to talk about the commitment and preview the 2026 high school football season.

Montana head coach Bobby Kennedy, offensive coordinator Brent Pease (6:25), senior quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat (15:51) and senior quarterback Gage Sliter (20:31) talked offensive evolution, position battles, growth and general fall camp points of emphasis following Monday August 3 fall camp practice at Dornblaser Field.

Braden Zimmer was thrown into the fire as a freshman last season, making his first career start at the University of Oregon. By the end of 2025, he was a Freshman All-American and a key cog for the Bobcat offense as MSU rolled to its first national championship in 41 years. Zimmer is up to 295 pounds entering his sophomore year. He sat down with Skyline Sports to talk about his first season of college football and MSU's pursuit of another national title.

Colter Nuanez provides analysis of Idaho's upcoming season before Nuanez and Samuel Akem sit down with UI second-year head coach Thomas Ford Jr. (11:20), senior quarterback Joshua Wood (23:18), and senior linebacker Cruz Hepburn (33:30 about the upcoming campaign. EDITOR'S NOTE: We are aware of the microphone issues, but did not realize we had reverb until after the interviews were finished. We have remedied the issue. 

Montana State senior cornerback Takhari Carr is expected to have an elevated role this upcoming season as Montana State tries to become the first Big Sky Conference team to win back to back national titles.

Montana State junior Tayden Gray was named second-team All-Big Sky a year ago and was named to the preseason all-league squad ahead of this year. He joined Colter Nuanez to talk White House visits, off-season progress, national championship chasing and goals for fall camp.

Fresh off a trip to the White House in Washington D.C., Montana State opened its 2026 fall camp on Thursday with a media day event. This is Brent Vigen's 15-minute pre practice press conference. 

Montana head coach Bobby Kennedy joins Colter Nuanez & Samuel Akem to talk Joe Glenn, new rules, rising stars and expectations going into 2026 season, his first leading the Griz. 

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen joins Colter Nuanez & Samuel Akem to discuss his team's pursuit of a second straight FCS title. 

Tom Wistricill, the commissioner of the Big Sky Conference, sat down with Colter Nuanez & Samuel Akem to discuss the state of the league, the way the TV schedule is determined, night games, national championships and mannequins. 

Big Sky Conference commissioner Tom Wistricill did a Q&A with media following his annual "State of the Big Sky" address at the Big Sky Kickoff media conference the end of July 2026. 

Taco & Caden Dowler, a pair of All-Big Sky captains for Montana State entering their final collegiate seasons, sat down with Colter Nuanez & Samuel Akem of Skyline Sports to discuss their jam-packed off-season including Taco's wedding + the resetting of the program's mindset in connection to a pursuit of a second straight national championship, the honor of wearing No. 41 and much more. 

Montana senior running back Eli Gillman sat down with Colter Nuanez & Samuel Akem to discuss his off-season, what motivates him, his pursuit of UM's career rushing record and his recent accolades. 

Montana senior safety Tanner Huff sits down with Colter Nuanez to talk about his off-season, UM's defensive transition under a new coaching staff and his youth football camp coming up July 17 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. 

Montana sophomore wide receiver Brooks Davis joins Colter Nuanez to discuss his Freshman All-American debut season, his priorities this off-season and his upcoming youth football camp.

Montana linebacker Peyton Wing talks about his transition to UM after transferring from Portland State, acclimating to "Linebacker U" and his upcoming youth football camp on July 17 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. 

Montana junior quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat joins Colter Nuanez to discuss his upcoming youth football camp on July 17 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula.

Samuel Akem joins Colter Nuanez LIVE from the Mo Club on June 18 to talk everything from the Big Sky Conference's nationally televised games to Eli Gillman's legacy with the Griz to the emergence of the Grizzly Football Players Association to the best quarterbacks outside of the state of Montana that play in the Big Sky Conference

Samuel Akem joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now LIVE on June 24 to break down Montana's home and home with Rio Grande Valley, Colter's projected Griz over-under win total (MSU coming next week!) plus 3-4 Bobcat players and 3-4 Griz players that could be household names by the end of the 2026 football season. 

Samuel Akem joins Colter Nuanez for Inside the FCS on June 10 to talk about a variety of college football topics, including Idaho State signing Cody Hawkins to a contract extension and Brent Vigen's long-term future at Montana State. 

Colter Nuanez breaks down the 18 top stories from 2025-2026 on the ESPN Roundtable from June 10. 

Ryan Tootell joins Colter Nuanez for a retrospective ESPN Roundtable rehashing the best sports stories of 2025-2026. Plus, Tootell & Nuanez talk recruiting (25:00) in Montana. 

Timm Rosenbach, a former Missoula Hellgate quarterback who also served as the offensive coordinator at Montana 2018-2022, also played at Washington State and the Phoenix Cardinals before getting into coaching. Rosenbach is one of the headlining members for the Montana Pro Football Hall of Fame and he joined Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now, 102.9 FM ESPN MT to tell stories of his football life. 

Samuel Akem and Colter Nuanez talk about congressional conversations about regulating college football, the changes to Big Sky Conference media days, a tease for an event with the GFPA at the Mo' Club June 18 + Myles Garrett to the Rams and the NBA Finals begins. 

Montana State senior Rob McManus is a three-time Big Sky Conference champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and is headed back to Eugene, Oregon for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships June 10-13.

Montana senior pole vaulter Kevin Swindler tied his own UM school record in the pole vault during the first round of the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field championships next week in Eugene, Oregon. 

Samuel Akem joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now 102.9 ESPN MT to discuss Sammy's all-time Griz Mount Rushmore, the potential contract extension being floated for first-year Griz head coach Bobby Kennedy and Montana State's new transfer cornerback.

Ty Hobbs, the president of the Grizzly Football Players' Association, along with GFPA founding member DJ Colter join Colter Nuanez for a teaser about the upcoming "Cussin' & Discussin'" podcast series presented by Skyline Sports.

Ryan Tootell joins Colter Nuanez on 102.9 FM ESPN MT to discuss NFL story lines and which game comes with more ramifications between Montana State's September 12 game at Nevada or Montana's September 19 game at Oregon State.

In the latest Senior Spotlight on Nuanez Now, 102.9 FM ESPN Radio, Billings Central graduate Kamryn Reinker joins Colter Nuanez to talk about her prep career, which included three volleyball and three straight basketball championships. Reinker will play for the Lady Griz next fall.

Dawson Hammond, a standout football, basketball and track athlete from Class B Malta, Montana, joins Colter Nuanez for the latest "Senior Spotlight" highlighting the best individual senior athletes in the state.

Rick Halmes, one of the founders and the Chairman of the Board for the Montana Pro Football Hall of Fame, joins Colter Nuanez for this week's ESPN Roudntable. Rick discusses the 10th anniversary of the HOF's creation, his favorite memories from the last decade, the story of his football life and his thoughts on his induction to the Montana Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Montana Pro Football Hall of Fame's 10th induction ceremony is in Billings on June 27.

Montana State's women claimed its first Big Sky Conference outdoor track and field championship since 2003 with a resounding win in Portland, Oregon that helped MSU beat five-time defending champion Northern Arizona by 53 points. MSU freshman Tilde Bjerager, the meet's Most Value and Most Outstanding Athlete, along with senior sprinter Carolyn Hawks and junior thrower Sydney Brewster joined Colter Nuanez to recap the historic win.