BIG SKY CONFERENCE DIRECTORY Table of Contents Constitution .............................................................................................................. 2 History ....................................................................................................................3-4 Big Sky Conference Staff .................................................................................... 5 2015-16 Council Chairs & Committee Appointments ............................... 6 NCAA Staff Directory ........................................................................................... 7 Big Sky Conference Institutions Cal Poly ................................................................................................................ 8-10 Eastern Washington University ..................................................................12-15 University of Idaho .......................................................................................20-25 Idaho State University .................................................................................. 26-31 The University of Montana .........................................................................32-37 Montana State University ...........................................................................38-43 University of North Dakota .......................................................................44-47 Northern Arizona University ......................................................................48-51 University of Northern Colorado ..............................................................52-57 Portland State University ........................................................................... 58-63 Sacramento State University ................................. ..................................64-69 Southern Utah University ........................................................................... 70-75 UC Davis ........................................................................................................... 76-79 Weber State University ...............................................................................80-86 Bighamtom & Hartford.......................................................................................87 Dates of Note 2015-16 Calendar of Events .......................................................................88-89 2015-16 Championship Dates and Sites ...................................................... 90 2015-16 Signing Dates .........................................................................................91 1 CONSTITUTION OF THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE - PREAMBLE - The members of the Big Sky Athletic Conference subscribe to the principle that intercollegiate athletics is a vital part of higher educa- tion, and is regarded as an integral part of the educational program, and that the intercollegiate athletic experience is equally valuable for both men and women students. The intercollegiate athletic pro- grams shall be administered and conducted in a manner consistent with the institutions’ educational policies. Fundamental to the successful application of any set of rules is the spirit of mutual confidence and cooperation. It is the function of this Conference to encourage intercollegiate athletics on an amateur basis with institutional control. The members of this Conference are dedicated to a continuing effort to maintain intercollegiate athletics in harmony with the essential educational purposes of the institution. To reinforce these princi- ples, the Big Sky Athletic Conference believes in and subscribes to the fundamental purposes, policies, and principles governing the conduct of intercollegiate athletics as adopted by the National Colle- giate Athletic Association (NCAA). These include the purposes and fundamental policy contained in Article 1 of the NCAA Constitution. The principles for conduct of intercollegiate athletics are found in Article 2 of the NCAA Constitution and include the following princi- ples: Institutional Control and Responsibilities Student-Athlete Welfare Gender Equity Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct Sound Academic Standards Nondiscrimination Diversity Within Governance Structures Rules Compliance Amateruism Competitive Equity Recruiting Eligibility Financial Aid Playing and Practice Seasons Postseason Competition and Contests Sponsored by Non-collegiate Organizations Economy of Athletics Program Operation 2 BIG SKY CONFERENCE HISTORY The Big Sky Conference enters its 53rd year and 28th year of women’s competi- tion during the 2015-16 academic year. The venerable and stable Division I Big Sky Conference observed its 50th birth- day on July 1, 2013. Four of the current league members – Idaho State University, The University of Montana, Montana State and Weber State – have been with the league since its birth. Fellow charter member the University of Idaho returned most of its sports to the Big Sky on July 1, 2014. Northern Arizona University enters its 47th season in the league, giving the league five members with at least 40 years of continu- ous membership. The Big Sky Conference welcomed North Dakota and Southern Utah on July 1, 2012 as full members. UC Davis and Cal Poly joined as football affiliate members. Eastern Washington University, the University of Northern Colorado, Portland State University and Sacramento State round out the current membership. The league has become one of the strongest Division I conferences in the West and is a national leader in the Football Championship Subdivision. Six times, Big Sky teams have won the Division I National Championship, including Eastern Washington in 2010. The Big Sky is one of three conferences in the western Unit- ed States playing Division I football. The Big Sky Conference was established in 1963 by six charter members – Ida- ho, Idaho State, Gonzaga, Montana, Montana State and Weber State. Those six schools formed the foundation of the Big Sky before the league expanded in 1970 by adding Boise State and Northern Arizona. Gonzaga left the Sky in 1979 and was replaced by Nevada, which gave the league eight members. The confer- ence grew to nine schools in 1987 with the addition of Eastern Washington. The 1990s saw change in the makeup of the league, beginning in 1992 when Ne- vada departed and put the Big Sky back at eight teams. In 1996 Boise State and Idaho left and at the same time the conference added Portland State, Sacramen- to State and Cal State Northridge. The Big Sky maintained nine teams for five years before Cal State Northridge departed in the spring of 2001. The Big Sky’s full members represent nine states spanning from the Pacific Ocean to the Red River Valley of North Dakota. The league is represented along the entire west coast with institutions in Washington, Oregon and California. League schools also range up and down the Rocky Mountains with institutions in Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona and Colorado. It is “The Heart of the American West.” The University of Idaho, which was a member from 1963-96, will once again com- pete in the Big Sky in the majority of its sports. Idaho’s football program main- tained its FBS affiliation, joining the Sun Belt Conference. 3 BIG SKY CONFERENCE HISTORY CONTINUED On Feb 25, 1963, the name Big Sky was adopted by the six presidents of the charter members as the name of the new conference. The name Big Sky originat- ed in a novel written by the late A.B. (Bud) Guthrie of Great Falls, Mont., in 1947 entitled “The Big Sky.” Jack Hollowell, a former Montana advertising director, promoted the Big Sky theme for the Treasure State. While on a track and field trip from Pocatello, Idaho, to Missoula, Mont., legendary Dubby Holt of Idaho State saw a “Welcome to Big Sky Country” sign as his team entered Montana. Holt, and his athletes thought “Big Sky” would be a perfect name for the new conference. Harry Missildine of the Spokane Spokesman-Review called for the newly formed league to be named the Big Sky Conference in his column dated Feb. 20, 1963. The Big Sky sponsors championships in 16 sports, including men’s and wom- en’s cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field, basketball and tennis. In addition, there are also championships in football, and women’s volleyball, golf and soccer. The Big Sky sponsored softball for the first time in 2013. Men’s golf returned as a championship sport in 2014-15 for the first time since 2002. The University of Hartford and Binghamton University have joined the Big Sky as affiliate members in golf. In 1988-89, the Big Sky Conference first began sponsoring women’s sports. The former Mountain West Conference existed from 1982-88, sponsoring champion- ships for women’s sports at the same institutions the Big Sky had men’s pro- grams. The Big Sky merged with the Mountain West in 1988, forming one league for both men and women. Doug Fullerton, the fifth commissioner of the Big Sky Conference, is in his 21st year at the helm. Fullerton took over the Big Sky on July 1, 1995, replacing longtime commissioner Ron Stephenson, who passed away in 2011. Stephenson served the league for 14 years. Steve Belko was the commissioner from 1977-81, while John Roning held the post from 1971-77. The first league commissioner was Jack Friel, who served from 1963-71. THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE Eastern Washington University - Cheney, WA Univeristy of Idaho - Moscow, ID^ Idaho State University - Pocatello, ID University of Montana - Missoula, MT Montana State University - Bozeman, MT University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND Northern Arizona