THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE League History and Information The Big Sky Conference enters its 56th year and 30th year of women’s competition during the BIG SKY CONFERENCE DIRECTORY AND INFORMATION 2018-19 academic year. Mailing and Street Address: Four of the current league members – Idaho 2491 Washington, Suite 201 State University, The University of Montana, Mon- Ogden, UT 84401 Phone: (801) 392-1978 tana State and Weber State – have been with the Fax: (801) 392-5568 league since its birth. www.bigskyconf.com Northern Arizona University enters its 49th season in the league, giving the league five Founded: 1963 members with at least 40 years of continuous Affiliation: NCAA I membership. Sports Sponsored Fellow charter member the University of MEN: Cross Country, Football*, Basketball*, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Tennis*, Golf* Idaho returned most of its sports to the Big Sky on WOMEN: Cross Country, Volleyball*, Basketball*, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Golf*, Tennis*, July 1, 2014. Its football program moves from the Soccer*, Softball* FBS level to FCS this season, rejoining the Big Sky * Conference champion receives automatic bid to NCAA Tournament Conference. Meanwhile, leaving the conference as a full Commissioner: TBA member in 2018 is the University of North Dakota. Deputy Commissioner: Ron Loghry Big Sky Conference Associate Commissioner/Compliance and Governance/SWA: Jaynee Nadolski Football Members The UND program moves to the Missouri Valley UC Davis Conference. However, the Fighting Hawks will still Associate Director of Compliance: Damilola Sule Cal Poly compete on Big Sky schedules through 2019, but Assistant Commissioner/Championships: Jon Kasper Eastern Washington Coordinator of Championships and Communications: Alex Kelly not be eligible for the league title. Idaho Assistant Commissioner/Communications and External Affairs: Denise Thompson Idaho State The Big Sky Conference welcomed Southern Communications Director: Blake Barrington Montana Utah on July 1, 2012 as a full member. UC Davis Assistant Director of Communications: Lea Williams Montana State and Cal Poly joined as football affiliate members. Corporate Partnerships: Dave Champlin Northern Arizona Northern Colorado Eastern Washington University, the University of Administrative Assistant: Janet Carpenter Portland State Northern Colorado, Portland State University and Accounts Technician: Natanee Spencer Sacramento State Sacramento State round out the current member- Business Manager: Stacy Freeman Southern Utah ship. Supervisor of Football Officials: Karl Richins Weber State Supervisor of Women’s Basketball/Volleyball Officials: Marla Denham The league has become one of the stron- gest Division I conferences in the West and is a represented along the entire west coast with and tennis. In addition, there are also champi- national leader in the Football Championship institutions in Washington, Oregon and California. onships in football, and women’s volleyball, golf Subdivision. Six times, Big Sky teams have won League schools also range up and down the Rocky and soccer. The Big Sky sponsored softball for the Division I National Championship, including Mountains with institutions in Montana, Idaho, the first time in 2013. Men’s golf returned as a Eastern Washington in 2010. A Big Sky team has Utah, Arizona and Colorado. It is “The Heart of the championship sport in 2014 for the first time since played for the national championship in three of American West.” 2002. The University of Hartford and Binghamton the past eight seasons. The University of Idaho, which was a mem- University joined the Big Sky as affiliate members The Big Sky is one of three conferences ber from 1963-96, once again competes in the Big in men’s golf. in the western United States playing Division I Sky in the majority of its sports. Idaho’s football In 1988-89, the Big Sky Conference first football. program maintains its FBS affiliation in the Sun began sponsoring women’s sports. The former The Big Sky Conference was established in Belt Conference. Mountain West Conference existed from 1982-88, 1963 by six charter members – Idaho, Idaho State, On Feb 25, 1963, the name Big Sky was sponsoring championships for women’s sports Gonzaga, Montana, Montana State and Weber adopted by the six presidents of the charter at the same institutions the Big Sky had men’s State. Those six schools formed the foundation of members as the name of the new conference. The programs. The Big Sky merged with the Mountain the Big Sky before the league expanded in 1970 name Big Sky originated in a novel written by West in 1988, forming one league for both men by adding Boise State and Northern Arizona. the late A.B. (Bud) Guthrie of Great Falls, Mont., and women. Gonzaga left the Sky in 1979 and was replaced by in 1947 entitled “The Big Sky.” Jack Hollowell, a Andrea Williams, who had been commission- Nevada, which gave the league eight members. former Montana advertising director, promoted er that past two years, left the conference in July The conference grew to nine schools in 1987 with the Big Sky theme for the Treasure State. While to become chief operation officer of the College the addition of Eastern Washington. on a track and field trip from Pocatello, Idaho, to Football Playoff. A search for her successor is The 1990s saw change in the makeup of the Missoula, Mont., legendary Dubby Holt of Idaho currently underway. league, beginning in 1992 when Nevada departed State saw a “Welcome to Big Sky Country” sign Williams replaced the retiring Doug Fuller- and put the Big Sky back at eight teams. In 1996 as his team entered Montana. Holt, and his ath- ton, who spent 20 years in the role. Fullerton had Boise State and Idaho left and at the same time letes thought “Big Sky” would be a perfect name replaced former commissioner Ron Stephenson in the conference added Portland State, Sacramento for the new conference. Harry Missildine of the 1995. Stephenson served the league for 14 years. State and Cal State Northridge. The Big Sky main- Spokane Spokesman-Review called for the newly Steve Belko was the commissioner from 1977-81, tained nine teams for five years before Cal State formed league to be named the Big Sky Confer- while John Roning held the post from 1971-77. Northridge departed in the spring of 2001. ence in his column dated Feb. 20, 1963. The first league commissioner was Jack Friel, who The Big Sky’s full members represent nine The Big Sky sponsors championships in 16 served from 1963-71. states spanning from the Pacific Ocean to the sports, including men’s and women’s cross coun- Red River Valley of North Dakota. The league is try, indoor and outdoor track and field, basketball 2018 Viking Football • 47 THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE 2018 Schedule, Past Champions Thursday, Aug. 30 Western Illinois at Montana State 2017 BIG SKY CONFERENCE STANDINGS Weber State at Utah BIG SKY GAMES ALL GAMES UC Davis at San Jose State W-L PCT. PF PA W-L PCT PF PA Home Away Neut. Streak Friday, Aug. 31 Weber State 7-1 .875 266 126 11-3 .786 472 246 5-1 6-2 0-0 Lost 1 Western State at Idaho State Southern Utah 7-1 .875 294 194 9-3 .750 403 336 5-1 4-2 0-0 Lost 2 Portland State at Nevada Sacramento State 6-2 .750 328 246 7-4 .636 414 327 5-1 2-3 0-0 Won 3 Saturday, Sept. 1 Eastern Washington 6-2 .750 300 250 7-4 .636 379 367 3-2 4-2 0-0 Won 2 Northern Iowa at Montana Northern Arizona 6-2 .750 272 199 7-5 .583 363 356 5-2 2-3 0-0 Lost 2 Cal Poly at North Dakota State Montana 5-3 .625 277 230 7-4 .636 385 319 5-1 2-3 0-0 Lost 1 Idaho at Fresno State Montana State 5-3 .625 237 197 5-6 .455 278 275 3-3 2-3 0-0 Won 1 Northern Arizona at UTEP McNeese State at Northern Colorado UC Davis 3-5 .375 281 295 5-6 .455 370 354 3-2 2-4 0-0 Lost 2 North Alabama at Southern Utah Idaho State 2-6 .250 229 306 4-7 .364 309 391 3-2 1-5 0-0 Lost 3 Central Washington at Eastern Washington Northern Colorado 2-6 .250 216 286 3-7 .300 278 341 3-2 0-5 0-0 Won 1 St. Francis (Illinois) at Sacramento State North Dakota 2-6 .250 220 299 3-8 .273 277 381 2-3 1-5 0-0 Lost 2 Saturday, Sept. 8 Cal Poly 1-7 .125 138 253 1-10 .091 203 352 1-4 0-6 0-0 Lost 2 Southern Utah at Oregon State Portland State 0-8 .000 204 381 0-11 .000 256 473 0-5 0-6 0-0 Lost 11 Portland State at Oregon Drake at Montana *Montana State at Portland State *Eastern Washington at Weber State Sacramento State at San Diego State *Northern Colorado at Weber State *Sacramento State at Southern Utah Montana State at South Dakota State *Cal Poly at Eastern Washington *Idaho State at UC Davis Northern Colorado at South Dakota *Idaho at UC Davis *Northern Colorado at Portland State Weber State at Cal Poly (NC) *Southern Utah at Northern Arizona Saturday, Oct. 20 Eastern Washington at Northern Arizona (NC) *Idaho State at North Dakota *Montana State at Weber State San Diego at UC Davis Saturday, Sept. 29 *UC Davis at Cal Poly Western New Mexico at Idaho *Montana at Cal Poly *Northern Arizona at Northern Colorado Friday, Sept. 14 *Eastern Washington at Montana State *Southern Utah at Idaho Brown at Cal Poly *Portland State at Idaho *North Dakota at Sacramento State *Northern Arizona at Idaho State Idaho State at Liberty Saturday, Sept.