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Eastern Washington University Football

Spring football schedule revised: Eastern Washington to play Idaho twice in six-game regular season

EWU’s’s Eric Barriere is tackled by Tyrese Dedmon during a game against Idaho on Sept. 21, 2019 at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow. Idaho. The EWU Eagles fell to the Idaho Vandals 27-35. Libby Kamrowski/ THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW (Libby Kamrowski)
By Ryan Collingwood ryanc@spokesman.com(509) 459-5473

Five Big Sky Conference football teams have opted out of the conference’s six-game delayed spring season, necessitating a revised schedule that was released Monday.

Eastern Washington will now face nearby Idaho twice, an effort to save on costs after the coronavirus pandemic took a bite out of several Big Sky members’ budgets.

The Eagles open the season Feb. 27 against the Vandals in the warm confines of the Kibbie Dome. Both teams end their regular seasons at Roos Field on April 10.

“Hell yes! Moscow in 33 days!” EWU offensive coordinator Ian Shoemaker tweeted.

”Wouldn’t want it any other way!” Idaho tight end and former Cheney High standout Logan Kendall tweeted back.

EWU will also host Northern Arizona (March 6), travel to Idaho State (March 13), host Cal Poly (March 27) and travel to UC Davis (April 3).

The rest of Idaho’s schedule consists of a home game with UC Davis (March 6), a road game against Northern Arizona (March 16), a home game with Southern Utah (March 27) and a road game vs. Idaho State (April 3).

Conference-wide byes are March 20 and April 17, created for potential make-up dates in case games are postponed.

Montana, Montana State, Portland State and Northern Colorado opted out of the spring season last week. Sacramento State opted out in October.

More than 30 Football Championship Subdivision schools and one league, the Ivy League, have opted out of the spring season, which is slated to culminate with a 16-team playoff beginning in April and the national title game in May in Frisco, Texas.

Multiple preseason Top 25 teams won’t play in the spring, including Montana State (No. 6), Montana (No. 7), Sacramento State (No. 12) and Central Arkansas (No. 11), which pieced together a nine-game fall schedule in 2020.

Fourth-ranked Weber State won’t face No. 18 EWU or Idaho in the regular season.

The Eagles and Vandals begin practice Friday.

Local and state health ordinances for each school will determine stadium capacities for fans.