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Big Sky Conference logo

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[]

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[]

  1. "Idaho, six others study basketball league", Lewiston Morning Tribune, June 1, 1962, p. 8. 
  2. "Six intermountain colleges move toward athletic ties", October 30, 1962, p. 8. 
  3. "Teams meet in basketball", Spokesman-Review, November 25, 1962, p. 6, sports. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 Missildine, Harry. "Six western schools create Big Sky athletic conference", February 26, 1963, p. 12. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 "Big Sky is ready for league action", February 26, 1963, p. 13. 
  6. Missildine, Harry. "The conference should band smoothly", February 20, 1963, p. 12. 
  7. "Officials view sports loop", February 25, 1963, p. 13. 
  8. "Big Sky steps up", Spokesman-Review, May 24, 1968, p. 12. 
  9. "Idaho off probation, loop titles dwindle", May 5, 1974, p. 13. 
  10. "Baseball axed in Big Sky", May 29, 1974, p. 15. 
  11. [httsp://bigskyconf.com/story.aspx?filename=gen_0530133147&file_date=5/30/2013&path=general Big Sky Set to Celebrate Anniversaries].

External links[]