Sept. 1, 2010

With two weekends to go in the 2009 football season, there was a possibility that all five Great West teams could finish with a 2-2 conference record. All teams could have been co-champs and the awards company would have had to produce four more championship plaques. Instead, UC Davis defeated North Dakota to finish off a 3-1 championship season.

The 2010 season could end up just as competitive, as all five Great West teams appeared to have strengthened their respective teams and look to build on the improvements made in 2009.

The coaches picked UC Davis to repeat as 2010 champion, but Cal Poly returns 19 starters from last year's squad and a very much improved Southern Utah program has a pre-season All-American wide receiver, an accomplished return specialist and its entire running back corps back. North Dakota has its entire backfield returning from a 6-5 team, and South Dakota coach Ed Meierkort is more excited than ever about his 2010 team. So, how will the race shape up?

"With a conference like ours, every game is important," said Cal Poly coach Tim Walsh. "You only get four chances to make it right, so you better be ready each time out. Winning the Great West is our only goal this season. Sure, we want to make the post-season, but there is no post-season without winning the Great West." UC Davis would have been a more prohibitive favorite had quarterback Greg Denham elected to return for his senior season instead of going into the ministry. The Aggies will rely on the redshirt freshman Randy Wright to lead the team in the opener on the road at California. It will be the first time UC Davis and Cal have met in 71 years - an imposing setting for a first-year starter.

"I really like our team," said Bob Biggs, 2009 Great West Coach of the Year. "I like the make-up of this team and the talent we have at all positions. It has truly been a treat coaching this team."

Four of the five Great West teams head out on the road in Week 1 to face teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision, beginning with North Dakota, which will begin the 2010 campaign Thursday night with a contest at Idaho. In other Saturday action, South Dakota travels to Central Florida, Southern Utah heads to Wyoming, while Cal Poly begins play against Humboldt State in a home contest.

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