Northwest Notes May 30, 2025

Vandals to have two football games televised by ESPN family of networks this fall

FARMINGTON, Utah — For the first time in league history, four regular-season Big Sky football conference games have been selected for national linear distribution by ESPN’s family of networks. 

The announcement from ESPN comes as the network released its national telecast lineup for 2025 college football season on Thursday, with four Big Sky games being among those selections. 

The four matchups selected by ESPN will feature Idaho, Montana, Montana State, Northern Arizona, Sacramento State, and UC Davis. 

The full national TV schedule Includes:

Saturday, Sept. 27: Idaho at Montana (TBD Time & Network)

Friday, Oct. 24: Montana at Sacramento State (7:30 p.m. PT, ESPN2)

Friday, Oct. 31: Idaho at Northern Arizona (7:30 p.m. PT, ESPN2)

Saturday, Nov. 15: UC Davis at Montana State (TBD Time & Network)

The Idaho-Montana game will air on either ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU. The network designation and kickoff time will be announced at a later date. 

In recent years, two Big Sky football games per season aired on the ESPN family of networks.

All six Big Sky teams selected for linear games this fall were ranked in the Hero Sports FCS Preseason Poll earlier this week, with Montana State (No. 2), Montana (No. 7), Idaho (No. 10), UC Davis (No. 11), Sacramento State (No. 12), and Northern Arizona (No. 19) slated inside the Top 25. 

Thursday's ESPN network designations are part of its new deal with the Big Sky Conference, which begins in the 2025-26 athletic year and goes through 2029-30. The new contract doubles the Big Sky’s exposure for nationally televised football games, with a minimum of four regular-season contests televised on a Friday or Saturday. A minimum of two of those games will air on ESPN or ESPN2. 

It was also announced on Thursday that the Vandals' Sept. 20 game against San Jose State will kick off at 2 p.m. The game can be seen on the Mountain West Network (streaming) and NBC Sports Bay Area.

West Coast Conference announces 2025-26 men’s basketball conference matchups

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — The West Coast Conference has announced the matchups for its 18-game conference schedule for each of its 12 men's basketball programs for the 2025-26 season. 

The matchups detailed below designate the 18-game home and away opponents for the upcoming season. Each team features seven home-and-away series with two only-home opponents and two only-away opponents to make up the 18-game schedule.

With Seattle joining the West Coast Conference in 2025-26, and Oregon State and Washington State returning as affiliates this season, the league increased the number of teams from 11 to 12 in the process.

The 2025-26 conference slate will begin on Sunday, Dec. 28. Following the 10-week schedule, the conference will host the West Coast Conference Basketball Championship March 5-10, 2026 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Specific dates, tip times and TV selections for each contest will be announced at a later date.

2025-26 WEST COAST CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL CONFERENCE MATCHUPS

Gonzaga 

Home: LMU, Pacific

Away: Oregon State, San Diego

Home and Away: Saint Mary’s, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Washington State, Seattle, Portland, Pepperdine

LMU

Home: Saint Mary's, Portland

Away: Gonzaga, Pepperdine

Home and Away: Santa Clara, San Francisco, Washington State, Seattle, Oregon State, Pacific, San Diego

Oregon State

Home: Gonzaga, Pepperdine

Away: Saint Mary's, Portland

Home and Away: Santa Clara, San Francisco, Washington State, Seattle, LMU, Pacific, San Diego

Pacific: 

Home: Saint Mary's, Seattle

Away: Gonzaga, Washington State

Home and Away: Santa Clara, San Francisco, Oregon State, LMU, Pepperdine, Portland, San Diego

Pepperdine

Home: San Francisco, LMU

Away: Santa Clara, Oregon State

Home and Away: Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, Washington State, Seattle, Portland, Pacific, San Diego

Portland

Home: Santa Clara, Oregon State

Away: San Francisco, LMU

Home and Away: Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, Washington State, Seattle, Pepperdine, Pacific, San Diego

Saint Mary’s

Home: Oregon State, San Diego

Away: LMU, Pacific

Home and Away: Gonzaga, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Washington State, Seattle, Pepperdine, Portland

San Diego

Home: Gonzaga, Washington State

Away: Saint Mary's, Seattle

Home and Away: Santa Clara, San Francisco, Oregon State, LMU, Pepperdine, Portland, Pacific

San Francisco

Home: Washington State, Portland

Away: Seattle, Pepperdine

Home and Away: Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, Oregon State, LMU, Pacific, San Diego

Santa Clara

Home: Seattle, Pepperdine

Away: Washington State, Portland

Home and Away: Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, San Francisco, Oregon State, LMU, Pacific, San Diego

Seattle

Home: San Diego, San Francisco

Away: Santa Clara, Pacific

Home and Away: Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, Washington State, Oregon State, LMU, Pepperdine, Portland

Washington State

Home: Santa Clara, Pacific

Away: San Francisco, San Diego

Home and Away: Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, Seattle, Oregon State, LMU, Pepperdine, Portland

WCC Announces 18-game unbalanced schedule in women's basketball   

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — For the first time in West Coast Conference history, the conference will play an 18-game unbalanced schedule in women's basketball. With the addition of Seattle, and Oregon State and Washington State returning as affiliates, the West Coast Conference will be a 12-team league in the 2025-26 season.

The 2025-26 conference schedule features 18 games, with each program playing four opponents once and seven opponents twice. Prior to the 2025-26 season, each league member played every opponent twice during the conference schedule. 

The matchups detailed below designate the home and away opponents for the upcoming season. Specific dates and game times for each contest will be announced at a later date.

The 2025-26 conference slate will begin on Sunday, Dec. 28. Following the 10-week schedule, the conference will host the West Coast Conference Basketball Championship March 5-10, 2026 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

2025-26 WEST COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CONFERENCE MATCHUPS

Gonzaga 

Home: Pepperdine, Saint Mary's

Away: Santa Clara, Seattle

Home and Away: LMU, Pacific, Oregon State, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington State

LMU

Home: Portland, Santa Clara

Away: Saint Mary's, Washington State

Home and Away: Gonzaga, Oregon State, Pacific, Pepperdine, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle

Oregon State

Home: Santa Clara, Seattle

Away: Pepperdine, Saint Mary's

Home and Away: Gonzaga, LMU, Pacific, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington State

Pacific

Home: Seattle, Washington State 

Away: Pepperdine, Portland

Home and Away: Gonzaga, LMU, Oregon State, Saint Mary's, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara

Pepperdine

Home: Oregon State, Pacific

Away: Gonzaga, San Francisco

Home and Away: LMU, Portland, Saint Mary's, San Diego, Santa Clara, Seattle, Washington State

Portland

Home: Pacific, San Diego

Away: LMU, San Francisco

Home and Away: Gonzaga, Oregon State, Pepperdine, Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, Seattle, Washington State 

Saint Mary's

Home: LMU, Oregon State

Away: Gonzaga, San Diego

Home and Away: Pacific, Pepperdine, Portland, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Seattle, Washington State

San Diego

Home: Saint Mary's, Washington State

Away: Portland, Santa Clara

Home and Away: Gonzaga, LMU, Oregon State, Pacific, Pepperdine, San Francisco, Seattle

San Francisco

Home: Pepperdine, Portland

Away: Seattle, Washington State

Home and Away: Gonzaga, LMU, Oregon State, Pacific, Saint Mary's, San Diego, Santa Clara 

Santa Clara

Home: Gonzaga, San Diego

Away: LMU, Oregon State

Home and Away: Pacific, Pepperdine, Portland, Saint Mary's, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington State

Seattle

Home: Gonzaga, San Francisco

Away: Oregon State, Pacific

Home and Away: LMU, Pepperdine, Portland, Saint Mary's, San Diego, Santa Clara, Washington State

Washington State

Home: LMU, San Francisco

Away: Pacific, San Diego

Home and Away: Gonzaga, Oregon State, Pepperdine, Portland, Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, Seattle

WSU kickoff times announced at North Texas, at Virginia

Two Washington State football kickoff times were announced, for road games at North Texas and Virginia.

WSU’s week three game at North Texas is set for Saturday, Sept. 13 and will kick off at 12:30 p.m. (PT) on ESPNU.

The game at Virginia is set for Saturday, Oct. 18 with a 3:30 p.m. (PT) kickoff on The CW.

WSU FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

August

30 — vs. Idaho (7 p.m., CW).

September 

6 — vs. San Diego State (7:15 p.m., CW). 13 — at North Texas (12:30 p.m., ESPNU). 20 — vs. Washington (4:30 or 5 p.m., CBS). 27 — at Colorado State (TBA, TBA). 

October

11 — at Mississippi (TBA, TBA). 18 — at Virginia (3:30 p.m., CW). 25 — vs. Toledo (12:30 p.m., CW). 

November 

1 — at Oregon State (5 p.m., CBS). 15 — vs. Louisiana Tech (7 p.m., CW). 22 — at James Madison (TBA, TBA). 29 — vs. Oregon State (3:30 p.m., CW).

Boise State, Mountain West announce 2025 TV selections, kickoff times

The Mountain West announced its 2025 national television package on Thursday, solidifying dates and TV broadcast networks for the upcoming Boise State football schedule.

The Broncos will have 10 games airing on the FOX Sports family of networks (FOX, FS1, FS2) or CBS/CBS Sports Network as part of the 53-game national television package the Mountain West announced for the season. Boise State will have six games appear on the FOX Sports family of networks with four occurring on CBS Sports networks.

Thursday’s announcement also marked three Bronco games shifting to Friday for national television broadcasts. Boise State’s home opener against Eastern Washington was moved to Friday, Sept. 5, and its two road contests against Nevada and Utah State were moved to Oct. 24 and Nov. 28, respectively.

Boise State had previously announced game times and television broadcast networks for its game at South Florida on Thursday, Aug. 28 (2:30 p.m. PT on ESPN) and Notre Dame on Saturday, Oct. 4 (12:30 p.m. PT on NBC).

Five of Boise State’s six home games do not have scheduled kickoff times or designated television broadcast channels. Those specific times and outlets will be determined during the regular season (generally during the 12-day selection window prior to the scheduled date).

The Mountain West Championship is slated for Friday, Dec. 5 on FOX, with a time yet to be determined.

BOISE STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Times Pacific

August

28 — at South Florida (2:30 p.m.; ESPN).

September

5 — vs. Eastern Washington (6 p.m.; FS1). 20 — at Air Force (4 p.m.; CBSSN). 27 — vs. Appalachian State (TBD; FOX/FS1/FS2).

October

4 — at Notre Dame (12:30 p.m.; NBC). 11 — vs. New Mexico (TBD; FOX/FS1/FS2). 18 — vs. UNLV (TBD; FOX/FS1/FS2). 24 — at Nevada (7 p.m.; CBSSN).

November

1 — vs. Fresno State (TBD; FOX/FS1/FS2). 15 — at San Diego State (7:30 p.m.; CBSSN). 22 — vs. Colorado State (TBD; FOX/FS1/FS2). 28 —at Utah State (1 p.m.; CBS).