Big Sky Now: FCS championship coverage from Nashville
BIG SKY NOW PODCAST | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 months, 3 weeks AGO
Big Sky Now brings the best sports reporters from the inland Northwest to the table to discuss Big Sky Conference football and basketball. | January 5, 2026 10:10 AM
Montana State is one win away from an FCS national championship, and Big Sky Now is on the ground in Nashville.
Host Luke Schmit is joined by Daily Inter Lake sports editor Fritz Neighbor, who joins from Tennessee ahead of the title matchup between the Bobcats and Illinois State.
Fritz breaks down Montana State’s preparation, the fan presence taking over Broadway, and what he learned from media day interviews with Bobcats quarterback Justin Lamson and other key players.
The conversation also dives into head coach Brent Vigen’s mindset, how Montana State has reloaded since last season’s championship loss, and why a fast start will be critical against a battle-tested Illinois State team.
The Redbirds arrive riding a dominant road run out of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, setting up a high-stakes showdown between two of the FCS’s toughest programs.
Fritz also shares insight on Illinois State’s roster, the national championship atmosphere at FirstBank Stadium, and kickoff details as the Big Sky looks to claim its first FCS title since 2010.
Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. Mountain Time in Nashville.
READ MORE:
History in the making, Bobcats and Redbirds seek elusive FCS title
Big Sky Now: FCS Championship preview Bobcats v. Redbirds
Bobcats, Redbirds remember Dec. 6 well
Full Circle: Lamson, Vigen first met in 2019; now the QB has MSU’s offense humming
Bobcats have (mostly) clean bill of health
Follow the Big Sky Now podcast by Hagadone Sports Network on You Tube or your favorite podcast app.
ARTICLES BY BIG SKY NOW PODCAST
Big Sky Now: Montana falls, Idaho stumbles and a Week 7 preview
Big Sky Conference football delivered another wild week, and the Big Sky Now panel is breaking it all down.
Big Sky Now: Week 5 recap, Idaho stuns No. 1 Montana State, and week 6 preview: Griz at Flagstaff
Week five brought a two-point conversion that ended Montana State's 19-game winning streak, a Homecoming win that kept Montana unbeaten in conference play, and a double-overtime thriller in Ogden.
Big Sky Now: Week 4 recap, Montana explodes for 62, Idaho State stays unbeaten, and week 5 preview
Week four delivered a statement from the Montana Grizzlies and another nail-biter for Idaho State, and Week five brings a stacked Big Sky slate headlined by a Friday night trap game in Moscow.