Big Sky Conference

Big Sky Conference
Name	Big Sky Conference
Established	1963
Association	NCAA
Division	NCAA Division I
Subdivision	Football Championship Subdivision
Commissioner	Tom Wistrcill
Headquarters	Farmington, Utah
Region	Western United States

Big Sky Conference. The Big Sky Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with its football members competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. Founded in 1963, it is headquartered in Farmington, Utah, and operates under the leadership of Commissioner Tom Wistrcill. The league's membership is primarily drawn from public universities across the western United States, with a strong emphasis on football, basketball, and a broad array of Olympic sports.

History

The conference was officially formed on February 27, 1963, with six charter members: the University of Idaho, University of Montana, Montana State University, University of Nevada, Reno, Weber State University, and Gonzaga University. The league's founding was driven by a desire to create a competitive western-based conference for men's basketball and football. Early leadership included Commissioner John Roning. Over the decades, membership has seen significant changes, with notable departures including Gonzaga University in 1979 and the University of Nevada, Reno in 1992. The conference expanded its geographic footprint in the 21st century, adding institutions like University of North Dakota and University of Southern Utah, now known as Southern Utah University. A landmark moment was the 2012 merger with the Western Athletic Conference's football schools, which brought California Polytechnic State University and University of California, Davis as football-only affiliates.

Member institutions

The conference currently comprises 10 full member institutions and two football affiliate members. Full members include Eastern Washington University, University of Idaho, University of Montana, Montana State University, University of Northern Colorado, Northern Arizona University, Portland State University, Sacramento State University, University of Southern Utah, and Weber State University. The football affiliate members are California Polytechnic State University and University of California, Davis. Former members with significant tenure include Boise State University, which departed for the Western Athletic Conference in 1996, and University of Nevada, Las Vegas, which was a member from 1979 to 1988. The conference office is located in Farmington, Utah.

Sports sponsored

The conference sponsors championship competition in 16 sports, 7 for men and 9 for women. Men's sponsored sports are basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), and rifle. Women's sponsored sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), volleyball, and rifle. The NCAA classifies rifle as a co-ed sport. Notably, the conference does not sponsor baseball, swimming, or wrestling, though individual members may field teams in those sports independently.

Conference champions

The conference awards regular season and tournament champions in most sports, with the men's basketball tournament winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. In football, the champion earns the league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division I FCS football playoffs. Historically dominant programs include the University of Montana and Montana State University in football, and Eastern Washington University in men's basketball, with the latter winning the 2020 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament. Women's basketball has seen strong programs at University of Montana and University of Northern Colorado. The conference also crowns champions in the NCAA Rifle Championship.

Facilities

Member institutions compete in notable venues across the West. Prominent football stadiums include Washington-Grizzly Stadium at the University of Montana and Bobcat Stadium at Montana State University. Significant basketball arenas are the Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, Montana, and the Reese Court at Eastern Washington University. Other key facilities include the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome at Northern Arizona University and the Holt Arena at Idaho State University, a former member. Track and field events are often held at the Stromberg Complex on the campus of Weber State University.

Media coverage

Conference football and basketball games receive extensive coverage through a partnership with ESPN, with many events broadcast on ESPN+ and select games on ESPN2 or ESPNU. The conference also has a long-standing relationship with Root Sports for regional television broadcasts. Radio coverage is handled by school-specific networks and affiliates, such as the Grizzly Sports Radio Network and the Bobcat Sports Radio Network. Digital streaming of non-televised events is provided through the conference's platform, Big Sky TV. Major events like the Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament are frequently covered by CBS Sports Network.

Category:NCAA Division I conferences Category:Sports leagues established in 1963 Category:Sports organizations based in Utah