This season's Big Sky football slate is, to the least, diverse. There are some BCS match-ups, the competition that will result from a conference that should have a minimum of 4 teams competing for the crown, a chance to test the newest members of the I-AA family, top-10 DII match-ups, all the way down to NAIA matches. Here is Pete's 2003 breakdown for the Big Sky (the lower the number, the more difficult the schedule):

1. Portland St.: The Vikings, in our opinion,  have the most challenging, by some margin, Big Sky slate for 2003. To begin with, they play 11 games ... 6 on-the-road. They open up as many I-AA's do each year, with a DII opponent. However, Texas A&M-Kingsville is a perennial DII power with a rich tradition and hopefully will be a test for, veteran head-coach, Tim Walsh's young club (they have lost 28 seniors, including Q.B. Wood). Other non-conference action include the SFC's Nicholls St. and Stephen F. Austin ... two clubs poised to make noise in the 2003 Pete's Power Poll. As most readers know, I am not a fan of IA vs. I-AA match-ups ... the Vikings test their high-powered offense against a quality WAC opponent. However, the Bulldogs had their share of problems last season against former BCS schools Nevada & Boise St. ... both of which still play BSC-style ball. Should be interesting to watch. Aside from the required conference basement-dwellers, I see no weaknesses in this slate.
   
2. Sacramento St: The Hornets open their season with a "money match" at the PAC-10's Oregon St.. They "get a breather" with in-state OOC tilts against St. Mary's and Cal-Poly. The Hornets have an 11-game slate with 6 home games, including Idaho St., NAU, Eastern Washington and Montana. First year head coach Steve Mooshagian looks to "turn the tide" of Hornet ball and compete for the Big Sky crown. SSU also looks hosts I-AA newcomer Cal-Davis. This is truly going to be an interesting match, as the Hornets look to show the just who is the veteran club ... this coming after the conference elected not to expand (which would most-likely have included Cal-Davis) at this time. One would certainly think the Aggies will come with "a chip on their shoulders" to match the increase in scholarship players.
   
3. Northern Arizona: It is had been too long since the Lumberjacks have seen a berth in the post-season (if you consider a year too long and if you are Jerome Souers ... who has arguably turned his program into what can be considered on of the nation's elite ... a year is 1 too many). In 2003, the 'Jacks' have a schedule that could return them to glory. Playing an 11 game slate, NAU will face 6 of their opponents on-the-road. These road games include a date with the PAC-10's Arizona St., Portland St., Montana St. and SFC member Sam Houston St.. The good thing about this schedule, is that the Lumberjacks will host Eastern Washington, Montana and Idaho St.. If there is one thing positive about a match at Arizona St., it is the fact that the national media will get a chance to see punter Mark Gould ... a tremendous punter with real NFL ability. Last year, Gould was slightly over-shadowed by WIU's senior sensation (and Charger's 5th-round draft pick) Mike Scifres and should follow him to Sunday action.
   
4. Montana St: The Bobcats have a 12-game slate in 2003, with an even 6 game split for home vs. away games. There is certainly a new attitude at MSU, as coach Kramer is set to try an accomplish something the he has not had opportunity to do in a while ... defend a Big Sky Conference crown. Are national title aspirations a bit premature? Kramer was an assistant for the Bobcats on the 1984 national championship squad, so I am certain he knows what it takes. NAU opens at Wyoming (against a familiar face in new Cowboy head-coach and former Grizzly chief Joe Glenn), then host an upstart Gardner-Webb. The other half of a 5-game OOC slate includes a look at I-AA "rookie" Northern Colorado. The prospects for a repeat look positive, from a scheduling standpoint, as the Bobcats will host Idaho St., Northern Arizona and Montana. However, tough road challenges with Eastern Washington and Portland St. will come before closing the season, at home, with rival Grizzlies.
   
5. Eastern Washington: The Eagles enter the 2003 season after a string of 4 winning seasons ... finishing off last season with a shocking win over Montana. However, EWU will face the new year without Q.B. Josh Blankenship. The Eagles look to make a conference title run with a very nice schedule that includes 11 games, 6 on-the-road. Coach Wulff's club opens with a couple rough away games at IA's San Diego St. and Idaho. They follow up with easier contests against DII Central Washington and I-AA Indy Southern Utah. The rest of the slate is all Big Sky, with road games against Idaho St, Norther Arizona and Montana St.. 
   
6. Montana: The Grizzlies look to recapture the conference crown and the schedule may cooperate. They have a 12-game slate, with 7 of these being at home. As they have done in the past, the Grizzlies open up with will be one of Pete's "feature games" ... as they travel to Maine. However, the Grizzly fans get a chance to welcome new head coach Bobby Hauck, with an amazing 5-game Home stand. The run includes DII N. Dakota St., SFC member Sam Houston St., IA rival Idaho and I-AA's Cal-Poly. However, MU does have to go "on-the-road" to face conference contenders Montana St., Idaho St. and Northern Arizona.
   
7. Idaho St.: The Bengals could be considered the conference favorites this year and they have a 12-game slate that will certainly give them a good chance to prove it. Who is Montana-Western? NAIA? The fact that I hail from a part of the country where this is known as high-school football, has created a bias. So, I guess it is legal, but it should not be. Sorry to sound insulting, but they still have 11 games to show us something. From there, coach Lewis' team has a very difficult task ... playing on the blue grass at Boise St.. The conference home-away portion of the schedule is evenly split, with the Bengals meeting Montana on-the-road. The difference could be the final 2 games, facing Cal-Poly and Southern Utah ... as the rest of the conference will be finishing off the Big Sky race.
   
8. Weber St.:  The Wildcats need to prove something in 2003 ... and this schedule could be "just what the doctor ordered. A 12-game slate with 7 home games. Coach Graybeal's club opens the first two at home ...  with DII Western St. and I-AA Southern Utah, prior to facing Mountain West champions and powerhouse Colorado St.. From there, they return home to face Montana Tech (I know, another NAIA club). The conference portion of the Bengal's schedule is evenly split, with Montana St. and Idaho St. at home. This is really a schedule that the team can do something with ... let's hope they do.

     As we said, the 2003 Big Sky schedule is very diverse, with several IA games in the mix. However, these games are offset by several sub-IAA matches. These bring the conference schedule average to 48.14, behind the A-10 by quite some margin (38.71). However, don't put too much faith into rankings, as this is just an average. Sorry for the singling out certain programs for the NAIA games (wait until you see a game on our current national champs slate). I did have a chance to go into PA and see a national power NAIA cIub in action, several years ago. It was very exciting ball ... but I don't recall ever seeing Villanova on their schedule.  On the other hand, we don't see too many A-10 conference clubs taking the field against PAC-10 squads. So, with the large income that will be made with these IA games, combined with the very small outlay to host NAIA & DII teams ... I would say there is quite a number of University accountants that will be very happy after this season is complete. I think we will have, at least, 4 teams compete for the conference crown this season ... which should make this the most exciting Big Sky race since the early 90's. A word of advice ... don't take these I-AA "newbies" too lightly or you will pay the price. We are all looking forward to another year of Big Sky Conference action.