Notes: Due to COVID-19, the Big Sky suspended the fall 2020 football season. Montana State, Northern Colorado, and Sacramento State opted out of the spring season. † – Montana and Portland State opted out of the conference season, but scheduled non-conference games. ‡ – Cal Poly opted out of the remainder of the spring season on March 29, 2021.
On July 23, 2020, during the virtual Big Sky Kickoff, the Vikings were predicted to finish eighth in the Big Sky by the coaches and seventh by the media.[1]
Coaches poll
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
Weber State
135 (7)
2
Montana
128 (3)
3
Montana State
121 (1)
4
Eastern Washington
118 (1)
5
Sacramento State
99 (1)
6
UC Davis
83
7
Northern Arizona
68
8
Portland State
67
9
Idaho
66
10
Cal Poly
46
11
Idaho State
37
12
Southern Utah
33
13
Northern Colorado
13
Media poll
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
Weber State
546 (28)
2
Montana
496 (8)
3
Montana State
493 (6)
4
Eastern Washington
438 (1)
5
Sacramento State
389
6
UC Davis
325 (1)
7
Portland State
274
8
Idaho
273
9
Northern Arizona
238
10
Cal Poly
206
11
Idaho State
133
12
Southern Utah
105
13
Northern Colorado
88
Schedule
Portland State had games scheduled against Arizona and Oregon State, which were later canceled before the start of the 2020 season.[2]
The Vikings' April 17 game against Montana was counted as a non-conference game, even though both schools compete in the Big Sky Conference.[3]