Big Sky Conference logo
The Big Sky Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, affiliated with the NCAA's Division I with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. As of 2024, ten full member institutions are located in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Two affiliate members from California are football–only participants.
History[]
Initially conceived for basketball,[1][2][3]}} the Big Sky was founded on July 1, 1963, with six members in four states;[4][5] 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,[6][7] and was adopted with the announcement of the new conference five days later.[4][5]
Starting in 1968, the conference competed at the highest level (university division) in all sports except football (college division). The sole exception was Idaho, in the university division for football through 1977 (except 1967, 1968).[8] Football moved to the new Division I-AA in 1978, which was renamed Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in 2006.
In 1974, half of the Big Sky's ten included sports were dropped (baseball, skiing, swimming, golf, and tennis), leaving football, basketball, wrestling, track, and cross country skiing.[9][10]
Women's sports were added 37 years ago in 1988, moving from the women's-only Mountain West Athletic Conference (1982–88).
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, indoor and outdoor track and field, basketball, and tennis. There are also championships in football, and in women's volleyball, golf, soccer, and softball.[11] It is one of two Division I all-sports conferences to not sponsor baseball, the other being the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Teams[]
| Team | Location |
|---|---|
| Cal Poly Mustangs | San Luis Obispo, CA |
| Eastern Washington Eagles | Cheney, WA |
| Idaho Vandals | Moscow, ID |
| Idaho State Bengals | Pocatello, ID |
| Montana Grizzlies | Missoula, MT |
| Montana State Bobcats | Bozeman, MT |
| Northern Arizona Lumberjacks | Flagstaff, AZ |
| Northern Colorado Bears | Greeley, CO |
| Portland State Vikings | Portland, OR |
| Sacramento State Hornets | Sacramento, CA |
| UC Davis Aggies | Davis, CA |
| Weber State Wildcats | Odgen, UT |
Seasons[]
- 2011 season
- 2012 season
- 2013 season
- 2014 season
Rivalries[]
Conference[]
| Schools | First Meeting | Game | Trophy | Winner (Last Meeting) | All-time Record | |
| Cal Poly | UC Davis | 1939 | Battle for the Golden Horseshoe | The Golden Horseshoe | UC Davis | UC Davis leads 17–16–2 |
| Eastern Washington |
Montana | 1938 | The EWU-UM Governors Cup | Governors Cup | Montana | Montana leads 25–10–1 |
| Idaho State | Weber State | 1962 | Weber State | Weber State leads 35–14–0 | ||
| Montana | Montana State | 1897 | Brawl of the Wild | The Great Divide Trophy | Montana | Montana leads 69–35–5 |
| UC Davis | Sacramento State |
1954 | Causeway Classic | Causeway Carriage | Sacramento State |
UC Davis leads 39-18-0 |
| Northern Colorado |
Idaho State | 2006 | Northern Colorado |
Northern Colorado leads 3-1-0 | ||
- Future conference rivalries highlighted in gray.
Non-conference[]
| Schools | First Meeting |
Game | Trophy | Winner (Last Meeting) |
All-time Record | |
| Idaho | Idaho State | 1916 | Idaho | Idaho leads 28–11–0 | ||
| Idaho State | Boise State | 1968 | Boise State | Boise State leads 24–6–0 | ||
| Montana | Idaho | 1903 | Little Brown Stein | Montana | Idaho leads 55–27–2 | |
| Northern Colorado |
Colorado State University |
Fall 2011 | TBA | TBA | ||
- Future non-conference rivalries highlighted in gray.
Big Sky football (titles)[]
- 1963 - Idaho State
- 1964 - Montana State
- 1965 - Idaho and Weber State
- 1966 - Montana State
- 1967 - Montana State
- 1968 - Idaho, Montana State, and Weber State
- 1969 - Montana
- 1970 - Montana
- 1971 - Idaho
- 1972 - Montana State
- 1973 - Boise State
- 1974 - Boise State
- 1975 - Boise State
- 1976 - Montana State
- 1977 - Boise State
- 1978 - Northern Arizona
- 1979 - Montana State
- 1980 - Boise State
- 1981 - Idaho State
- 1982 - Montana
- 1983 - Nevada
- 1984 - Montana State
- 1985 - Idaho
- 1986 - Nevada
- 1987 - Idaho
- 1988 - Idaho
- 1989 - Idaho
- 1990 - Nevada
- 1991 - Nevada
- 1992 - Idaho and Eastern Washington
- 1993 - Montana
- 1994 - Boise State
- 1995 - Montana
- 1996 - Montana
- 1997 - Eastern Washington
- 1998 - Montana
- 1999 - Montana
- 2000 - Montana
- 2001 - Montana
- 2002 - Montana, Montana State, and Idaho State
- 2003 - Montana, Montana State, and Northern Arizona
- 2004 - Eastern Washington and Montana
- 2005 - Eastern Washington, Montana, and Montana State
- 2006 - Montana
- 2007 - Montana
- 2008 - Montana and Weber State
- 2009 - Montana
Football championships (by school)[]
| School | member years | total titles | Last won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 1963–present | 18 | 2009 |
| Montana State | 1963–present | 11 | 2005 |
| Idaho | 1963–95 | 8 | 1992 |
| Gonzaga | 1963–79 | 0 | N/A |
| Boise State | 1970–95 | 6 | 1994 |
| Idaho State | 1963–present | 3 | 2002 |
| Eastern Washington | 1987–present | 4 | 2005 |
| Nevada | 1979–92 | 4 | 1991 |
| Weber State | 1963–present | 3 | 2008 |
| Northern Arizona | 1970–present | 2 | 2003 |
| CS-Northridge | 1996–2001 | 0 | N/A |
| Sacramento State | 1996–present | 0 | N/A |
| Portland State | 1996–present | 0 | N/A |
| Northern Colorado | 2006–present | 0 | N/A |
References[]
- ↑ "Idaho, six others study basketball league", Lewiston Morning Tribune, June 1, 1962, p. 8.
- ↑ "Six intermountain colleges move toward athletic ties", October 30, 1962, p. 8.
- ↑ "Teams meet in basketball", Spokesman-Review, November 25, 1962, p. 6, sports.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Missildine, Harry. "Six western schools create Big Sky athletic conference", February 26, 1963, p. 12.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Big Sky is ready for league action", February 26, 1963, p. 13.
- ↑ Missildine, Harry. "The conference should band smoothly", February 20, 1963, p. 12.
- ↑ "Officials view sports loop", February 25, 1963, p. 13.
- ↑ "Big Sky steps up", Spokesman-Review, May 24, 1968, p. 12.
- ↑ "Idaho off probation, loop titles dwindle", May 5, 1974, p. 13.
- ↑ "Baseball axed in Big Sky", May 29, 1974, p. 15.
- ↑ [httsp://bigskyconf.com/story.aspx?filename=gen_0530133147&file_date=5/30/2013&path=general Big Sky Set to Celebrate Anniversaries].
External links[]
- Big Sky Conference article at Wikipedia
