THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE CONFERENCE the Big Sky Conference Enters Its 57Th Year and 31St Gave the League Eight Members
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LEAGUE INFORMATION ANNUAL BIG SKY THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE CONFERENCE The Big Sky Conference enters its 57th year and 31st gave the league eight members. The Big Sky Conference FOOTBALL year of women’s competition during the 2019-20 academic conference grew to Football Members CHAMPIONS year. nine schools in 1987 with the addition UC Davis Cal Poly Four of the current league members – Idaho State of Eastern Washington. 1963: Idaho State Eastern Washington 1964: Montana State University, The University of Montana, Montana State and The 1990s saw change in the Idaho Weber State – have been with the league since its birth. makeup of the league, beginning in Idaho State 1965: Weber State, Idaho Northern Arizona University enters its 50th season in 1992 when Nevada departed and put Montana 1966: Montana State the league, giving the league five members with at least 50 the Big Sky back at eight teams. In Montana State 1967: Montana State years of continuous membership. 1996 Boise State and Idaho left and at Northern Arizona 1968: Weber State, Montana State, Northern Colorado Idaho Fellow charter member the University of Idaho the same time the conference added Portland State 1969: Montana returned most of its sports to the Big Sky on July 1, 2014, Portland State, Sacramento State and Sacramento State 1970: Montana then its football program moved from the FBS level to FCS in Cal State Northridge. The Big Sky main- Southern Utah 1971: Idaho 2018, rejoining the Big Sky Conference. tained nine teams for five years before Weber State 1972: Montana State North Dakota left the Big Sky Conference following the Cal State Northridge departed in the 1973: Boise State 2017-18 academic year. However, the Fighting Hawks will spring of 2001. 1974: Boise State still compete on Big Sky football schedules through 2019, The Big Sky’s full members represent nine states 1975: Boise State but not be eligible for the league title. spanning from the Pacific Ocean to the Red River Valley of 1976: Montana State The Big Sky Conference welcomed Southern Utah on North Dakota. The league is represented along the entire 1977: Boise State July 1, 2012 as a full member. UC Davis and Cal Poly joined west coast with institutions in Washington, Oregon and 1978: Northern Arizona as football affiliate members. Eastern Washington University, California. League schools also range up and down the 1979: Montana State the University of Northern Colorado, Portland State Universi- Rocky Mountains with institutions in Montana, Idaho, Utah, 1980: BOISE STATE ty and Sacramento State round out the current membership. Arizona and Colorado. It is “The Heart of the American 1981: IDAHO STATE The league has become one of the strongest Division West.” 1982: Montana I conferences in the West and is a national leader in the On Feb 25, 1963, the name Big Sky was adopted by 1983: Nevada Football Championship Subdivision. Six times, Big Sky teams the six presidents of the charter members as the name of 1984: MONTANA STATE have won the Division I National Championship, including the new conference. The name Big Sky originated in a novel 1985: Idaho Eastern Washington in 2010. A Big Sky team has played for written by the late A.B. (Bud) Guthrie of Great Falls, Mont., 1986: Nevada the national championship in four of the past nine seasons. in 1947 entitled “The Big Sky.” Jack Hollowell, a former 1987: Idaho The Big Sky is one of three conferences in the western Montana advertising director, promoted the Big Sky theme 1988: Idaho United States playing Division I football. for the Treasure State. While on a track and field trip from 1989: Idaho The Big Sky Conference was established in 1963 by six Pocatello, Idaho, to Missoula, Mont., legendary Dubby Holt 1990: Nevada charter members – Idaho, Idaho State, Gonzaga, Montana, of Idaho State saw a “Welcome to Big Sky Country” sign as 1991: Nevada Montana State and Weber State. Those six schools formed his team entered Montana. Holt, and his athletes thought 1992: Eastern Washington, Idaho* the foundation of the Big Sky before the league expanded in “Big Sky” would be a perfect name for the new conference. 1993: Montana 1994: Boise State 1970 by adding Boise State and Northern Arizona. Gonzaga Harry Missildine of the Spokane Spokesman-Review called 1995: MONTANA left the Sky in 1979 and was replaced by Nevada, which for the newly formed league to be named the Big Sky Con- 1996: Montana ference in his column dated Feb. 20, 1963. 1997: Eastern Washington The Big Sky sponsors championships CONFERENCE DIRECTORY & INFORMATION 1998: Montana in 16 sports, including men’s and women’s 1999: Montana Mailing and Street Address: cross country, indoor and outdoor track and 2000: Montana 2491 Washington, Suite 201 field, basketball and tennis. In addition, 2001: MONTANA Ogden, UT 84401 there are also championships in football, 2002: Montana, Idaho State, Phone: (801) 392-1978 and women’s volleyball, golf and soccer. Montana State* Fax: (801) 392-5568 The Big Sky sponsored softball for the 2003: Montana State*, www.bigskyconf.com first time in 2013. Men’s golf returned as Montana, Northern Arizona Founded: 1963 a championship sport in 2014 for the first 2004: Montana*, Affiliation: NCAA I time since 2002. The University of Hartford Eastern Washington and Binghamton University joined the Big 2005: Eastern Washington*, Sports Sponsored Sky as affiliate members in men’s golf. Montana, Montana State MEN: Cross Country, Football*, Basketball*, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track In 1988-89, the Big Sky Conference 2006: Montana and Field, Tennis*, Golf* first began sponsoring women’s sports. The 2007: Montana WOMEN: Cross Country, Volleyball*, Basketball*, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor former Mountain West Conference existed 2008: Weber State*, Montana Track and Field, Golf*, Tennis*, Soccer*, Softball* from 1982-88, sponsoring championships 2009: Montana * Conference champion receives automatic bid to NCAA Tournament for women’s sports at the same institutions 2010: EASTERN WASHINGTON, Montana State* Commissioner: Tom Wistrcill the Big Sky had men’s programs. The Big Sky merged with the Mountain West in 2011: Montana Deputy Commissioner: Dan Satter 2012: Montana State*, Cal Poly, Senior Associate Commiss./Compliance/Governance/SWA: Jaynee Nadolski 1988, forming one league for both men and women. Eastern Washington Senior Associate Commissioner/Championships: Jon Kasper 2013: Eastern Washington Tom Wistrcill was named the Big Sky Assistant Commissioner/Communications/External Affairs: Denise Thompson 2014: Eastern Washington Conference’s new commissioner in late Business Manager: Stacy Freeman 2015: Southern Utah 2018. He replaced Andrea Williams. Prior Office Coordinator/Accounting Assistant: Desiree McPhail 2016: Eastern Washington, Director of Championships: Alex Kelly to Williams, Doug Fullerton spent 20 years North Dakota Director of Compliance: Ty Singletary in the role. Fullerton had replaced former 2017: Weber State, *Southern Utah Director of Communications: Blake Barrington commissioner Ron Stephenson in 1995. 2018: Eastern Washington, Director of Communications: Karl Hunt Stephenson served the league for 14 years. UC Davis, Weber State* Manager-Business Development: Brett McPhail Steve Belko was the commissioner from Bold CAPS - National Champion Coordinator of Football Officials: Karl Richins 1977-81, while John Roning held the post Coordinator of Women’s Basketball/Volleyball Officials: Marla Denham from 1971-77. The first league commission- *Earned automatic berth into Coordinator of Softball Officials: Jim Adrian er was Jack Friel, who served from 1963-71. NCAA I FCS playoffs 49 2019 Portland State Vikings THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE 2019 BIG SKY CONFERENCE SCHEDULE Thursday, Aug. 29 Missouri State at Northern Arizona 2018 BIG SKY CONFERENCE STANDINGS Northern Colorado at San Jose State BIG SKY GAMES ALL GAMES W-L PCT. PF PA W-L PCT PF PA Home Away Neut. Streak Saturday, Aug. 31 Eastern Washington 7-1 .875 384 135 12-3 .800 647 340 8-0 4-2 0-1 Won 2 Montana at South Dakota UC Davis 7-1 .875 356 217 10-3 .769 516 356 5-0 4-3 1-0 Lost 1 Montana State at Texas Tech Weber State 7-1 .875 235 161 10-3 .769 362 275 6-1 4-2 0-0 Won 1 Idaho at Penn State Montana State 5-3 .625 238 212 8-5 .615 370 370 6-1 2-4 0-0 Lost 1 Weber State at San Diego State Idaho State 5-3 .625 279 260 6-5 .545 388 363 4-1 2-4 0-0 Lost 2 San Diego at Cal Poly Montana 4-4 .500 272 244 6-5 .545 373 314 3-3 3-2 0-0 Lost 1 Eastern Washington at Washington Cal Poly 4-4 .500 251 312 5-6 .455 315 400 3-3 2-3 0-0 Won 2 Northern Colorado at Washington State Northern Arizona 3-4 .429 194 241 4-6 .400 258 322 3-2 1-4 0-0 Won 1 Portland State at Arkansas Portland State 3-5 .375 206 250 4-7 .364 302 398 2-3 2-4 0-0 Lost 3 UC Davis at Cal Idaho 3-5 .375 195 260 4-7 .364 274 412 4-1 0-6 0-0 Lost 3 Southern Utah at UNLV Northern Colorado 2-6 .250 195 303 2-9 .182 262 391 1-5 1-4 0-0 Lost 2 Southern Oregon at Sacramento State Southern Utah 1-7 .125 195 312 1-10 .091 281 456 1-4 0-6 0-0 Lost 5 Sacramento State 0-7 .000 144 294 2-8 .200 241 354 1-3 1-4 0-1 Lost 7 Thursday, Sept. 5 Western Colorado at Idaho State *Northern Arizona at Montana State Saturday, Nov. 9 *Idaho at Northern Colorado *Idaho at Montana Friday, Sept.