Plough: UC Davis ready to chase down Big Sky title in 2026

UC Davis football is ready to get the 2026 season underway, and head coach Tim Plough believes the Aggies have plenty to play for as they enter a new season with Big Sky Conference championship aspirations.

Plough joined Carmichael Dave and Jason Ross on Sactown Sports ahead of UC Davis’ Week Zero matchup against Portland State on Saturday, discussing the challenges of opening the season with a conference game and what it will take for the Aggies to finally break through in the Big Sky.

UC Davis has been competitive in the conference under Plough, but the coach knows the margin for error is small in a league as difficult as the Big Sky.

“I love that it’s a nine-game conference,” Plough said. “The Big Sky is such a competitive league.”

(UC Davis football)

The Aggies open the season on the road against Portland State, a difficult assignment made even more challenging by the uncertainty surrounding a new opponent coaching staff.

“They got a new staff. So we have no idea what they’re going to do,” Plough said.

Rather than becoming overly focused on what Portland State might bring to the table, Plough said UC Davis’ priority will be controlling what it can control.

“It’s kind of more about us and less about them,” he said. “Let’s just see how well we can play, and hopefully we play our best.”

For UC Davis football, the road to a Big Sky championship has been clear in Plough’s mind. The Aggies have come close in each of the last two seasons, but home losses ultimately kept them from reaching their goal.

“For us, we’ve always said if you want to win the Big Sky, you got to win all your home games,” Plough said. “In the last two years, we’ve been close to winning the conference, but we lost one home game along the way.”

Plough also knows UC Davis will need to find a way to win at least one difficult road game along the way. He pointed to past seasons as examples of how unpredictable conference play can become.

UC Davis football head coach Tim Plough (UC Davis)

“You just got to figure out what that game is going to be,” Plough said.

With conference play beginning immediately, there is little time for UC Davis to ease into the season. The Aggies will have to be ready from the opening whistle if they want to turn their recent competitiveness into a Big Sky championship.

Plough is embracing that challenge.

“It’s football season, boys,” he said. “Let’s go find some joy and see if we can put one together and get this thing all the way to the end this year.”

Listen to The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross from 6 – 10 a.m. PDT, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.

More UC Davis football content from Sactown Sports

• Position Preview: Inside the 2026 Aggie Offense
• Position Preview: Defensive Leaders Return for UC Davis

2026 UC Davis Football Schedule

• Saturday, August 29th – @ Portland State – 12:00 PM PT
• Saturday, September 5th – @ San Diego – 7:00 PM PT
• Saturday, September 12th – @ SMU – 1:00 PM PT
• Saturday, September 19th – vs. Stetson – 7:00 PM PT
• Saturday, September 26th – vs. Montana – 7:00 PM PT

Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on X/Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Related

Faithful Flashbacks #11: The Catch IIBrooks: De’Zhaun Stribling is “the absolute real deal”Christian McCaffrey could see a lighter workload in 2026Why George Kittle’s Week 1 decision looms large for the 49ers49ers acquire veteran LB Deion Jones from SaintsSources: Kings GM Scott Perry in Florida to watch Ben Simmons workout