Big Sky Conference


The Big Sky Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the nine states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Four affiliate members each participate in one sport. Two schools from California are football–only participants and two schools from the Northeast participate only in men's golf.

History

Initially conceived for the Big Sky was founded on July 1, 1963 with six members in four of the charter members have been in the league from its founding, and a fifth returned in 2014 after an 18-year absence.
The name "Big Sky" came from the popular 1947 western novel by A. B. Guthrie Jr.; it was proposed by Harry Missildine, a sports columnist of the Spokesman-Review just prior to the founding meetings of the conference in Spokane in February 1963, and was adopted with the announcement of the new conference five days later.
Starting in 1968, the conference competed at the highest level in all sports except football. The sole exception was Idaho, in the university division for football through 1977.
In 1974, half of the Big Sky's ten sports were dropped, leaving football, basketball, wrestling, track and cross country.
Women's sports were added in 1988, moving from the women's–only Mountain West Athletic Conference.

Fiftieth anniversary

The 2012–13 season marked the completion of a half century of athletic competition and a quarter century sponsoring women's collegiate athletics. Before the season the league introduced a new logo to celebrate this.
The 25th season of women's athletics also marked a first for the league, as Portland State won the league's inaugural softball championship. From 1982 to 1988, women's sports were conducted in the Mountain West Athletic Conference.
The Big Sky sponsors championships in sixteen sports, including men's and women's cross country, golf, indoor and outdoor track and field, basketball, and tennis. There are also championships in football, and in women's volleyball, soccer, and softball.

Members

Full members

InstitutionLocationFoundedJoinedEnrollmentNicknameColors
Eastern Washington UniversityCheney, Washington1882198712,607Eagles
Moscow, Idaho18891963, 201411,814Vandals
Idaho State UniversityPocatello, Idaho1901196312,805Bengals
Missoula, Montana1893196310,104Grizzlies
Montana State UniversityBozeman, Montana1893196316,766Bobcats
Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, Arizona1899197022,791Lumberjacks
Greeley, Colorado1889200612,862Bears
Portland State UniversityPortland, Oregon1946199627,285Vikings
Sacramento, California1947199631,181Hornets
Southern Utah UniversityCedar City, Utah1897201210,196Thunderbirds
Weber State UniversityOgden, Utah1889196327,465Wildcats

Affiliate members

Former members

;Notes:

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id:Full value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
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id:AssocOS value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in some sports, but not all
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bar:1 color:FullxF from:1963 till:1979 text:Gonzaga
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bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2005 text:Big West
bar:2 color:OtherC2 from: 2005 till:2014 text:WAC
bar:2 color:FullxF from:2014 till:2018 text:
bar:2 shift: color:Full from:2018 till:end text:
bar:3 color:Full from:1963 till:end text:Idaho State
bar:4 color:Full from:1963 till:end text:Montana
bar:5 color:Full from:1963 till:end text:Montana State
bar:6 color:Full from:1963 till:end text:Weber State
bar:7 color:Full from:1970 till:1996 text:Boise State
bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2001 text:Big West
bar:7 color:OtherC2 from:2001 till:2011 text:WAC
bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:2011 till:end text:MWC
bar:8 color:Full from:1970 till:end text:Northern Arizona
bar:9 color:Full from:1979 till:1992 text:Nevada
bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1992 till:2000 text:Big West
bar:9 color:OtherC2 from:2000 till:2012 text:WAC
bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:end text:MWC
bar:10 color:Full from:1987 till:end text:Eastern Washington
bar:11 shift: color:Full from:1996 till:2001 text:Cal State Northridge
bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:end text:Big West
bar:12 color:Full from:1996 till:end text:Sacramento State
bar:13 color:Full from:1996 till:end text:Portland State
bar:14 color:Full from:2006 till:end text:Northern Colorado
bar:15 color:Full from:2012 till:2018 text:North Dakota
bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:2018 till:end text:Summit League
bar:16 color:Full from:2012 till:end text:Southern Utah
bar:17 color:AssocF from:2012 till:end text:Cal Poly
bar:18 color:AssocF from:2012 till:end text:UC Davis
bar:19 shift: color:AssocOS from:2014 till:end text:Binghamton
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    Sports

As of the 2016–17 school year, the Big Sky sponsors championships in seven men's and nine women's NCAA sanctioned sports. Each core member institution is required to participate in all of the 13 core sports. Men's core sports are basketball, cross country, football, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and tennis. Women's core sports are basketball, cross country, golf, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, tennis, and volleyball.
Cal Poly and UC Davis participate as football-only affiliates, otherwise participating in the Big West Conference. Binghamton and Hartford are affiliates in men's golf only, otherwise participating in the America East Conference. Before the 2014–15 school year, the latter two schools had participated in men's golf alongside five full Big Sky members in the single-sport America Sky Conference. The return of Idaho brought the number of members participating in men's golf to six, which led to the Big Sky adding men's golf and absorbing the America Sky Conference.

Baseball

The Big Sky is unusual among Division I all-sports conferences in not sponsoring baseball. The conference originally sponsored baseball in 1964, with all members participating. When Boise State and Northern Arizona arrived for the 1971 season, competition was split into two divisions of four teams each, with the winners in a best-of-three championship series. Montana State and Montana soon dropped the sport and by the 1973 season, only six teams remained but the divisions were kept, and Boise State moved over to the North Division for

Wrestling

From the 1962-1963 season through the 1986-1987 season, the BIG SKY conference sponsored wrestling. Boise State & Idaho State dominated in most years winning 10 & 8 conference titles respectively. Montana State & Weber State also had some good years & Montana won their only conference title in the last year BIG SKY sponsored the sport.
Montana State 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966
Idaho State 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1984
Boise State 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977,1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1986
Weber State 1981, 1983
Montana 1987
In May 1974, the Big Sky announced its intention to discontinue five of its ten sponsored sports. It retained football, basketball, cross-country, track, and wrestling, and dropped conference competition in baseball, golf, tennis, swimming, and skiing. Of the eleven Big Sky baseball titles, four each went to Idaho and Gonzaga, and three to Weber State. Gonzaga won the final title in 1974 over Idaho State in three games, after losing the first game in Pocatello. Southern division champion Idaho State chose to end its baseball program weeks following the conference's announcement, and Gonzaga, Idaho, and Boise State joined the new Northern Pacific Conference for baseball Boise State and Idaho competed in the NorPac for six seasons, then discontinued baseball after the
In 2016, North Dakota announced on April 12 that it was their last baseball season. Since then, only Northern Colorado and Sacramento State have competed in the sport, both as affiliate members in the Western Athletic Conference.
SportMen'sWomen's
Basketball
11
11
Cross country
11
11
Football
13
-
Golf
7
11
Soccer
-
10
Softball
-
7
Tennis
10
10
Track and field
11
11
Track and field
11
11
Volleyball
-
11

Possible divisional alignments

If Cal Poly were to become a full member of the Big Sky Conference, the divisions would align as follows:
North DivisionSouth Division
Eastern WashingtonCal Poly
IdahoNorthern Arizona
Idaho StateNorthern Colorado
MontanaSacramento State
Montana StateSouthern Utah
Portland StateWeber State

  • Football only: Each team would play eight conference games and rotate three teams from the opposite division every two years. The Big Sky would institute a conference championship game with the North Division champion hosting in even years and the South Division champion hosting in odd years.
  • The divisional alignments would apply only for men's and women's basketball, football, and women's volleyball.

    Men's sponsored sports by school

SchoolBasketballCross
country		FootballGolfTennisTrack and field
Track and field
Total
Sports
Eastern Washington
6
Idaho
7
Idaho State
6
Montana
6
Montana State
6
Northern Arizona
6
Northern Colorado
6
Portland State
6
Sacramento State
7
Southern Utah
6
Weber State
7
Totals
11
11
11+2
5+2
9
11
11
67+4

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Big Sky Conference which are played by Big Sky schools:
SchoolBaseballSkiingSoccerWrestling
Montana StateNoIndependentNoNo
Northern ColoradoWACNoNoBig 12
Sacramento StateWACNoBig WestNo

Women's sponsored sports by school

SchoolBasketballCross
country		GolfSoccerSoftballTennisTrack and field
Track and field
VolleyballTotal
Sports
Eastern Washington
8
Idaho
8
Idaho State
9
Montana
9
Montana State
7
Northern Arizona
8
Northern Colorado
8
Portland State
9
Sacramento State
9
Southern Utah
8
Weber State
9
Totals
11
11
11
10
7
9
11
11
11
92

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Big Sky Conference which are played by Big Sky schools:
SchoolBeach volleyballGymnasticsRowingSkiingSwimming
IdahoNoNoNoNoWAC
Montana StateNoNoNoIndependentNo
Northern ArizonaNoNoNoNoWAC
Northern ColoradoNoNoNoNoWAC
Sacramento StateIndependentMPSFThe AmericanNoNo
Southern UtahNoMountain RimNoNoNo

Facilities

Basketball

Current NBA players

  • Damian Lillard, Weber State

    Conference rivalries

  • Idaho and Idaho State
  • Idaho and Montana
  • Idaho State and Weber State
  • Montana and Montana State
  • Weber State and Southern Utah
  • Eastern Washington and Montana
  • Northern Arizona and Southern Utah

    Non-conference rivalries

  • Weber State and Utah State/Utah/BYU/Utah Valley
  • Eastern Washington and Gonzaga
  • Idaho and Boise State
  • Idaho State and Wyoming
  • Montana and Wyoming
  • Montana State and Wyoming
  • Sacramento State and UC Davis
  • Portland State and Portland
  • Northern Colorado and Colorado State
  • Northern Colorado and Denver

    2019 Home Game Attendance Averages

  • 1. Weber State 6,755
  • 2. Montana 4,234
  • 3. Montana St. 2,802
  • 4. Southern Utah 2,055
  • 5. Northern Colorado 1,650
  • 6. Idaho St. 1,441
  • 7. Portland St. 1,238
  • 8. Eastern Washington 1,152
  • 9. Northern Arizona 1,076
  • 10 Idaho 712
  • 11 Sacramento State 634

    Rivalries

Protected football rivalries

As of May 2019, these rivalries are protected.
SchoolRival 1Rival 2
UC DavisCal PolySacramento State
Cal PolyUC DavisSacramento State
Eastern WashingtonIdahoPortland State
IdahoMontanaEastern Washington
Idaho StateWeber StatePortland State
MontanaMontana StateIdaho
Montana StateMontanaNorthern Colorado
Northern ArizonaSouthern UtahNorthern Colorado
Northern ColoradoNorthern ArizonaMontana State
Portland StateEastern WashingtonIdaho State
Sacramento StateUC DavisCal Poly
Southern UtahNorthern ArizonaWeber State
Weber StateIdaho StateSouthern Utah

Conference

Non-conference

Commissioners

Big Sky men's basketball

SeasonRegular Season
Champion		Tournament
Champion		NCAA
Seed		RegionWinsAdvancement
Montana Stateno tournament—
Weber Stateno tournament—
Weber State, Gonzagano tournament—
Gonzaga, Montana Stateno tournament—
Weber Stateno tournamentWest0
Weber Stateno tournamentWest1Round of 16
Weber Stateno tournamentWest0
Weber Stateno tournamentWest0
Weber Stateno tournamentWest1Round of 16
Weber Stateno tournamentWest0
Idaho State no tournamentWest0
Montanano tournamentWest1Round of 16
Weber State, Boise State, Idaho StateBoise StateWest0
Idaho StateIdaho StateWest2Round of 8
MontanaWeber StateWest0
Weber StateWeber State7Midwest1Round of 32
Weber StateWeber State7West0
IdahoIdaho7West0
IdahoIdaho3West1Round of 16
Nevada, Weber StateWeber State9West0
Weber StateNevada11West0
NevadaNevada14West0
Northern Arizona, MontanaMontana State16West0
Montana StateIdaho State16West0
Boise StateBoise State14West0
Boise StateIdaho13West0
IdahoIdaho13West0
MontanaMontana16West0
MontanaMontana14West0
IdahoBoise State14West0
Weber State, Idaho StateBoise State14West0
Weber State, MontanaWeber State14Southeast1Round of 32
Montana StateMontana State13West0
Northern ArizonaMontana16West0
Northern ArizonaNo. Arizona15West0
Weber StateWeber State14West1Round of 32
2000Montana, Eastern WashingtonNo. Arizona15West0
2001Cal State-NorthridgeCS-Northridge13Midwest0
2002Montana StateMontana15Midwest0
2003Weber StateWeber State12Midwest0
2004Eastern WashingtonE. Washington15East0
2005Portland StateMontana16West0
Northern ArizonaMontana12Midwest1Round of 32
2007Weber State, Northern ArizonaWeber State15West0
2008Portland StatePortland State16Midwest0
2009Weber StatePortland State13East0
Weber StateMontana14East0
Northern ColoradoNo. Colorado15West0
MontanaMontana13East0
MontanaMontana13East0
Weber StateWeber State16West0
MontanaE. Washington13South0
Weber StateWeber State15East0
North DakotaNorth Dakota15West0
MontanaMontana14West0
MontanaMontana15West0

  • Prior to 1976, each NCAA regional had a third place game
  • The only Big Sky team to reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament was Idaho State in 1977
  • The only Big Sky team to earn a bye in the NCAA tournament was Idaho in 1982
  • Through 2019, the Big Sky has yet to have an at-large team in the NCAA tournament

    Basketball championships (by school)

NCAA Tournament

Since 1968, the Big Sky champion has received a berth in NCAA Tournament; the conference tournament winner has been the representative since its introduction in 1976.
The best finish by a Big Sky team came in 1977, when the Idaho State Bengals of Jim Killingsworth advanced to the Elite Eight, with a one-point upset of UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen in Provo, Utah. Two days later, the Bengals led UNLV by a point at halftime, but lost by seventeen and finished at
Seeding was introduced in 1979 when it expanded to forty teams, and the highest seed granted a Big Sky team was in 1982: ranked eighth in the final polls with a record, the Idaho Vandals under Don Monson were seeded third in the West regional. After a first round bye, they beat Lute Olson's Iowa Hawkeyes in nearby Pullman in overtime, but lost to second-seeded Oregon State in the regional semifinals, also played in Provo.
Other Big Sky teams that advanced to regional semifinals include the Weber State Wildcats in 1969 and 1972, when the total field was 25 teams, and the Montana Grizzlies under Jud Heathcote in the 32-team field in 1975. The Griz fell to UCLA by just three points, who went on to win another title in John Wooden's final year as head coach.
Since 1982, only three teams from the Big Sky have advanced within the NCAA tournament, and none past the round of 32. Weber State won in 1995 and 1999, coached by Ron Abegglen, and Montana in 2006, led by alumnus Larry Krystkowiak. Prior to Idaho in 1982, the Big Sky had been seeded seventh ; the highest seed for the conference since 1982 is ninth, and the highest since expanding to 64 teams in 1985 is twelfth.
Through 2018, the Big Sky has yet to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The first NIT appearance for the conference was Idaho in 1983; two Big Sky teams advanced to the NIT's round of 16: Weber State and Boise State.

Big Sky women's basketball

SeasonTournament ChampionTournament Runner-Up
1983MontanaWeber State
1984MontanaEastern Washington
1985IdahoMontana
1986MontanaEastern Washington
1987Eastern WashingtonMontana
1988MontanaEastern Washington
1989MontanaIdaho
1990MontanaIdaho
1991MontanaMontana State
1992MontanaBoise State
1993Montana StateMontana
1994MontanaBoise State
1995MontanaMontana State
1996MontanaWeber State
1997MontanaMontana State
1998MontanaNorthern Arizona
1999CS NorthridgePortland State
2000MontanaCS-Northridge
2001Idaho StateMontana
2002Weber StateMontana State
2003Weber StateMontana State
2004MontanaIdaho State
2005MontanaWeber State
2006Northern ArizonaWeber State
2007Idaho StateNorthern Arizona
2008MontanaMontana State
2009MontanaPortland State
2010Portland StateMontana State
2011MontanaPortland State
2012Idaho StateNorthern Colorado
2013MontanaNorthern Colorado
2014North DakotaMontana
2015MontanaNorthern Colorado
2016IdahoIdaho State
2017Montana StateMontana State
2018Northern ColoradoNorthern Colorado
2019Portland StateEastern Washington

  • Mountain West Athletic Conference through 1988 season

    Big Sky football titles

Season, conference record, and champion
  • 1963 – –
  • 1964 – – – won Camellia Bowl
  • 1965 – – ^ and Idaho
  • 1966 – –
  • 1967 – –
  • 1968 – – Idaho,, and
  • 1969 – – Montana
  • 1970 – – Montana
  • 1971 – – Idaho – '
  • 1972 – –
  • 1973 – – Boise State – Div. II semifinalist
  • 1974 – – Boise State
  • 1975 – – Boise State
  • 1976 – – Montana State – won Div. II national championship
  • 1977 – – Boise State – had late regular season game, runner-up Northern Arizona invited to Div. II playoffs
  • 1978 – – – not invited to inaugural four-team I-AA playoffs –
  • 1979 – – – ' – Nevada to four-team I-AA playoffs
  • 1980 – – Boise State – won I-AA national championship
  • 1981 – – Idaho State^ – – ISU won I-AA national championship
  • 1982 – – Montana^, Idaho, and '
  • 1983 – – Nevada – I-AA semifinalist
  • 1984 – – Montana State – won I-AA national championship
  • 1985 – – Idaho^ –
  • 1986 – – Nevada – I-AA semi-finalist
  • 1987 – – Idaho^ –
  • 1988 – – Idaho – I-AA semifinalist
  • 1989 – – Idaho – '
  • 1990 – – Nevada – I-AA runner-up, defeated Boise State in I-AA semifinals in 3OT
  • 1991 – – Nevada
  • 1992 – – Idaho^ and –
  • 1993 – – Montana – '
  • 1994 – – Boise State – I-AA runner-up –
  • 1995 – – Montana – won I-AA national championship
  • 1996 – – Montana – I-AA runner-up
  • 1997 – – – I-AA semifinalist
  • 1998 – – Montana
  • 1999 – – Montana
  • 2000 – – Montana – I-AA runner-up
  • 2001 – – Montana – won I-AA national championship
  • 2002 – – Montana,, and –
  • 2003 – – ^, Montana, and –
  • 2004 – – Montana^ and – – UM – I-AA runner-up
  • 2005 – – ^,, and Montana –
  • 2006 – – Montana – FCS semifinalist
  • 2007 – – Montana
  • 2008 – – Weber State^ and Montana – – UM – FCS runner-up
  • 2009 – – Montana – FCS runner-up
  • 2010 – – Montana State^ and Eastern Washington – – EWU won FCS national championship'
  • 2011 – – Montana State and Montana^^
  • 2012 – – Eastern Washington^, Montana State, and Cal Poly –
  • 2013 – – Eastern Washington – FCS semifinalist
  • 2014 – – Eastern Washington
  • 2015 – – Southern Utah
  • 2016 – – Eastern Washington – FCS semifinalist and North Dakota
  • 2017 – – Southern Utah^ and Weber State –
  • 2018 – – Weber State^, Eastern Washington and UC Davis – - EWU – FCS runner-up
  • 2019 – – Weber State^ and Sacramento State
^ - winner of head-to-head matchup in conference game during the regular season.
^^ - vacated due to NCAA violations

Football championships (by school)

All-time school records by wins for current teams

This list goes through the 2020 season.
#TeamRecordsPct.Big Sky
Championships		National
Championships
1North Dakota622-383-3011
2Montana564-478-26182
3Eastern Washington503-404-23101
4UC Davis495-384-3510
5Cal Poly485-383-1911
6Montana State470-467-33152
7Idaho State449-488-2131
8Northern Arizona445-438-2320
9Northern Colorado425-450-2602
10Portland State331-354-1000
11Weber State266-294-360
12Sacramento State263-351-820
13Southern Utah261-319-1321

Overall Big Sky Conference champions

Basketball

  • Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
  • Big Sky Conference Women's Basketball Tournament