This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Rice-Eccles Stadium stood empty Tuesday afternoon when North Dakota football coach Bubba Schweigert and defensive back Cole Reyes visited a venue they know will look and sound a lot different in six weeks.

"Our research says it's a great football atmosphere," Schweigert said during the Big Sky Football Kickoff in Park City.

Bruce Barnum is conducting his own studies about his Portland State team's season opener vs. BYU. He's known for turning the Vikings' trips into sightseeing adventures, always looking for experiences beyond the standard airport-hotel-stadium itineraries of most football teams. "I need to look into more of the history of Provo," Barnum said.

Any suggestions?

My self-study, meanwhile, reveals a trend. This is what happens to me every summer: I consider writing about how BYU and Pac-12 schools such as Utah should outgrow scheduling teams from the Big Sky and other FCS conferences. Then I go to Park City and hear players and coaches talk about how much they value the experience in a big-time stadium, and I end up playing along and citing the history: In five of the past six seasons, a Big Sky school has knocked off a Pac-12 team.

The upset victim was Washington State each of the last two years, and the Cougars went on to have outstanding seasons. That's a decent counter-argument for Ute fans who feel cheated by the home schedule after watching Big Sky schools score an average of 6.2 points in five games during Utah's Pac-12 era.

So here come the Fighting Hawks of North Dakota. "We're excited to see where we are as a team," Reyes said. "It's definitely motivating. Guys want to go out there and show, 'I can play with those guys.' "

This is a big moment for the Big Sky's reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Reyes expects 30 relatives from around the country to fly in for the game. He's hoping to perform well in front of NFL scouts who like Thursday games, giving them extra viewing opportunities.

Reyes' showcase could get even more interesting if Utah signs former Oregon receiver Darren Carrington II. Dismissed by the Ducks last week following an arrest on suspicion of DUI, Carrington is looking for a landing spot as a graduate transfer and visited Utah this week, according to The Oregonian. He caught the touchdown pass that beat the Utes last November with two seconds remaining.

North Dakota is not North Dakota State, a six-time FCS champion in this decade, known for beating Big Ten teams. UND is getting there, though. The Hawks are strong favorites to win another Big Sky title and advance in the playoffs.

Logically, if the Big Sky's intermittent giant-killing success continues this season, it will come from Northern Arizona against Arizona — two years after NAU lost 77-13 in Tucson. That's pretty much what's supposed to happen in these matchups, but sometimes a good Big Sky team catches a higher-level program at just the right moment.

Portland State is two years removed from a win at Washington State, but the Vikings are rebuilding. They're picked to finish in the bottom tier of the 13-team Big Sky, and they open the season with a tough pair of road games vs. BYU and Oregon State.

The Cougars are "better than us," Barnum said. "I'm not stupid. I'm not naive. So lightning has to strike the right way."

Barnum smiled and looked around the room, filled with the dozen other Big Sky coaches. "Playing these guys," he said, "if something goes wrong and I get down 14 [points], I've got a chance."

Probably not so in Provo, which is among the reasons Barnum is thinking beyond football. Then again, he always does. The Vikings maximized two Utah visits last season. They flew into Las Vegas and attended a magic show, then bused to Cedar City and stayed at Brian Head Resort before facing Southern Utah (that's when Barnum likened himself to the Grinch, and Cedar City to Hooville). Before playing Weber State, PSU visited Hogle Zoo and Temple Square in Salt Lake City.

The team's commercial flight is scheduled Sunday, following an afternoon game, so the Vikings will have a Saturday night off in Provo. Some of PSU's coaches have suggested a team viewing party for the Conor McGregor-Floyd Mayweather boxing match. That contest may or may not be more competitive than what happens at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

kkragthorpe@sltrib.com Twitter:@tribkurt —

Big Sky vs. Pac-12

Upsets in this decade

2011 • Sacramento State 29, Oregon State 28

2012 • Sacramento State 30, Colorado 28

2013 • Eastern Washington 49, Oregon State 46

2015 • Portland State 24, Washington State 17

2016 • Eastern Washington 45, Washington State 42

2016 results

• Utah 24, Southern Utah 0

• Arizona State 44, Northern Arizona 13

• Eastern Washington 45, Washington State 42

• Oregon State 37, Idaho State 7

• Washington 41, Portland State 3

• Oregon 53, UC Davis 28

• Colorado 56, Idaho State 7

2017 schedule

• North Dakota at Utah

• Portland State at Oregon State

• Southern Utah at Oregon

• Montana State at Washington State

• Northern Arizona at Arizona

• Weber State at California

• Montana at Washington

• Northern Colorado at Colorado

Utah's results as a Pac-12 member vs. Big Sky teams

2011 • Utah 27, Montana State 10

2012 • Utah 41, Northern Colorado 0

2013 • Utah 70, Weber State 7

2014 • Utah 56, Idaho State 14

2016 • Utah 24, Southern Utah 0

Upcoming games

2017 • North Dakota at Utah

2018 • Weber State at Utah

2019 • Idaho State at Utah

2021 • Weber State at Utah

2022 • Southern Utah at Utah

2024 • Southern Utah at Utah