The Big Sky Conference announced on June 2 the attendees for the 2026 Football Kickoff weekend, marking the first public event of the league’s new era with Southern Utah and Utah Tech joining and Sacramento State departing. The event, presented by Northern Quest Resort & Casino, will take place in Spokane from Saturday, July 25 through Monday.
Idaho Vandals head coach Thomas Ford will be joined at the weekend by a redshirt junior quarterback and a redshirt senior linebacker. Both players are returning from the 2025 roster and are expected to be leaders for their respective units.
A key feature of the weekend is set to be the annual Big Sky Hall of Fame Gala on Saturday evening at 6:30 PM PT. The gala will honor eight inductees into the league’s 2026 class, including Idaho legends Dennis Erickson (Football) and Jackie Ross Mattox (Track & Field). Other honorees include Frank Hawkins (Nevada), Eric Heins (Northern Arizona), Amber Henry (Weber State), Pam Parks (Eastern Washington), Michael Ray Richardson (Montana), and Willie Sojourner (Weber State).
Monday’s schedule includes over four hours of live coverage starting at 9:00 a.m. PT from Northern Quest Resort & Casino on ESPN+ and Scripps Sports. Coverage will be co-hosted by Meghan Robinson of Big Sky and Kyle Hansen of Scripps Sports, featuring interviews with representatives from all 13 football teams as well as Commissioner Tom Wistrcill and other special guests. Interview times for Monday will be announced later.
Fans can follow updates about Vandal football through official social media channels.
