Cal Poly, Big Sky Unveil 2020-21 Spring Football Schedule
11/4/2020 8:54:00 AM | Football
CAL POLY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Scrub the 11-game 2020 Cal Poly football schedule announced back in September 2019.
In its place, the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be a six-game Big Sky Conference slate — three home games and three on the road — for each of the 12 teams competing this spring.
Cal Poly will open its 2020-21 football schedule with a pair of contests inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium, hosting Southern Utah on Feb. 27 and UC Davis in the Battle for the Golden Horseshoe on March 6.
Coach Beau Baldwin's Mustangs then hit the road for their third game of the modified season March 13 at Montana.
Cal Poly will play its final home game March 27 versus Northern Arizona before going back out on the road to face Portland State on April 3 and Eastern Washington, where Baldwin coached for 13 seasons, nine as head coach, on April 10.
"We are extremely excited to prep for a very competitive schedule we have in front of us," said Baldwin. "It will be fun for everyone in the program and community to open the season at Spanos."
All 12 teams will have byes on March 20 and April 17 for potential makeup games. The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, reduced to 16 teams this season — 11 automatic qualifiers (conference champions) and five at-large teams — begins April 23-24, ending with the national championship game in Frisco, Texas, on May 15.
Sacramento State, the 13th member of the Big Sky, announced on Oct. 15 that it had elected to opt out of the proposed spring football campaign "due to the truncated season and the risks it could cause to the players' wellbeing."
All kickoff times will be announced at a later date.
The Big Sky Conference's Presidents' Council approved the spring schedule for the 58th season of Big Sky football earlier this week. Every team will play at least one home game and one away game in both the first three weeks and the last three weeks, and no team has three consecutive road games. The schedule maintains key rivalry matchups and each team faces at least three opponents from its original Fall 2020 schedule.
"This spring football season certainly will be unique, and I am confident that all who care about our conference share in the sentiment that we cannot wait to watch our student-athletes and coaches compete for a Big Sky title and contend for the FCS championship," Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said. "This schedule provides consistency by utilizing much of the original fall 2020 slate, flexibility by allowing space for games to be rescheduled, and sensibility by prioritizing regional matchups that minimize travel and expenses."
Big Sky teams will not be permitted to play non-conference games in the spring.
On August 7, the Big Sky Conference announced its postponement of the fall 2020 football season to spring 2021.
Cal Poly was to play Louisiana-Monroe and Cal on the road and San Diego at home for non-conference games last fall, followed by an eight-game Big Sky schedule with home games against Weber State, UC Davis, Idaho State and Northern Arizona and contests on the road versus Montana, Montana State, Portland State and Sacramento State.
Of the six teams Cal Poly will play in the spring, only Montana qualified for the 2019 FCS playoffs. The Griz reached the quarterfinal round and finished 10-4. Weber State and Sacramento State shared the Big Sky championship in 2019.
Baldwin, who coached Eastern Washington to the 2010 FCS national title, compiled a 58-14 record in Big Sky games and 85-32 overall from 2008-16 as head coach of the Eagles with five Big Sky titles and six FCS playoff berths.
"People will make traveling to EWU a big deal," said Baldwin, "but ultimately it will be about our players that week, and getting ready to play a very good Eastern team on their home field."
The Mustangs are 32-32 in their first eight seasons in the Big Sky, capturing the conference crown in 2012.
2020-21 Big Sky Conference Composite Spring Football Schedule
February 27
Eastern Washington at Portland State
Northern Colorado at Idaho
Weber State at Idaho State
Montana at Northern Arizona
Montana State at UC Davis
Southern Utah at Cal Poly
March 6
Montana at Eastern Washington
Idaho at Idaho State
Montana State at Weber State
Portland State at Northern Arizona
Southern Utah at Northern Colorado
UC Davis at Cal Poly
March 13
Eastern Washington at UC Davis
Portland State at Idaho
Idaho State at Southern Utah
Cal Poly at Montana
Northern Colorado at Montana State
Northern Arizona at Weber State
March 27
Idaho at Eastern Washington
Idaho State at Northern Colorado
Montana State at Montana
Northern Arizona at Cal Poly
UC Davis at Portland State
Weber State at Southern Utah
April 3
Eastern Washington at Montana State
Montana at Idaho
Idaho State at UC Davis
Southern Utah at Northern Arizona
Northern Colorado at Weber State
Cal Poly at Portland State
April 10
Cal Poly at Eastern Washington
Idaho at Southern Utah
Idaho State at Montana State
Portland State at Montana
Northern Arizona at Northern Colorado
Weber State at UC Davis
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Scrub the 11-game 2020 Cal Poly football schedule announced back in September 2019.
In its place, the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be a six-game Big Sky Conference slate — three home games and three on the road — for each of the 12 teams competing this spring.
Cal Poly will open its 2020-21 football schedule with a pair of contests inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium, hosting Southern Utah on Feb. 27 and UC Davis in the Battle for the Golden Horseshoe on March 6.
Coach Beau Baldwin's Mustangs then hit the road for their third game of the modified season March 13 at Montana.
Cal Poly will play its final home game March 27 versus Northern Arizona before going back out on the road to face Portland State on April 3 and Eastern Washington, where Baldwin coached for 13 seasons, nine as head coach, on April 10.
"We are extremely excited to prep for a very competitive schedule we have in front of us," said Baldwin. "It will be fun for everyone in the program and community to open the season at Spanos."
All 12 teams will have byes on March 20 and April 17 for potential makeup games. The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, reduced to 16 teams this season — 11 automatic qualifiers (conference champions) and five at-large teams — begins April 23-24, ending with the national championship game in Frisco, Texas, on May 15.Sacramento State, the 13th member of the Big Sky, announced on Oct. 15 that it had elected to opt out of the proposed spring football campaign "due to the truncated season and the risks it could cause to the players' wellbeing."
All kickoff times will be announced at a later date.
The Big Sky Conference's Presidents' Council approved the spring schedule for the 58th season of Big Sky football earlier this week. Every team will play at least one home game and one away game in both the first three weeks and the last three weeks, and no team has three consecutive road games. The schedule maintains key rivalry matchups and each team faces at least three opponents from its original Fall 2020 schedule.
"This spring football season certainly will be unique, and I am confident that all who care about our conference share in the sentiment that we cannot wait to watch our student-athletes and coaches compete for a Big Sky title and contend for the FCS championship," Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said. "This schedule provides consistency by utilizing much of the original fall 2020 slate, flexibility by allowing space for games to be rescheduled, and sensibility by prioritizing regional matchups that minimize travel and expenses."
Big Sky teams will not be permitted to play non-conference games in the spring.
On August 7, the Big Sky Conference announced its postponement of the fall 2020 football season to spring 2021.
Cal Poly was to play Louisiana-Monroe and Cal on the road and San Diego at home for non-conference games last fall, followed by an eight-game Big Sky schedule with home games against Weber State, UC Davis, Idaho State and Northern Arizona and contests on the road versus Montana, Montana State, Portland State and Sacramento State.
Of the six teams Cal Poly will play in the spring, only Montana qualified for the 2019 FCS playoffs. The Griz reached the quarterfinal round and finished 10-4. Weber State and Sacramento State shared the Big Sky championship in 2019.
Baldwin, who coached Eastern Washington to the 2010 FCS national title, compiled a 58-14 record in Big Sky games and 85-32 overall from 2008-16 as head coach of the Eagles with five Big Sky titles and six FCS playoff berths.
"People will make traveling to EWU a big deal," said Baldwin, "but ultimately it will be about our players that week, and getting ready to play a very good Eastern team on their home field."
The Mustangs are 32-32 in their first eight seasons in the Big Sky, capturing the conference crown in 2012.
2020-21 Big Sky Conference Composite Spring Football Schedule
February 27
Eastern Washington at Portland State
Northern Colorado at Idaho
Weber State at Idaho State
Montana at Northern Arizona
Montana State at UC Davis
Southern Utah at Cal Poly
March 6
Montana at Eastern Washington
Idaho at Idaho State
Montana State at Weber State
Portland State at Northern Arizona
Southern Utah at Northern Colorado
UC Davis at Cal Poly
March 13
Eastern Washington at UC Davis
Portland State at Idaho
Idaho State at Southern Utah
Cal Poly at Montana
Northern Colorado at Montana State
Northern Arizona at Weber State
March 27
Idaho at Eastern Washington
Idaho State at Northern Colorado
Montana State at Montana
Northern Arizona at Cal Poly
UC Davis at Portland State
Weber State at Southern Utah
April 3
Eastern Washington at Montana State
Montana at Idaho
Idaho State at UC Davis
Southern Utah at Northern Arizona
Northern Colorado at Weber State
Cal Poly at Portland State
April 10
Cal Poly at Eastern Washington
Idaho at Southern Utah
Idaho State at Montana State
Portland State at Montana
Northern Arizona at Northern Colorado
Weber State at UC Davis
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