Big Sky Conference
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The Big Sky Conference (or BSC) is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I, with football competing at the Division I-AA level. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the States of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
Charter (original) members
- Gonzaga University
- University of Idaho
- Idaho State University
- University of Montana
- Montana State University, Bozeman
- Weber State University
Current members (and year joined)
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Year Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Washington University | Cheney, Washington | 1882 | Public | 9,232 | 1987 |
| Idaho State University | Pocatello, Idaho | 1901 | Public | 13,802 | 1963 |
| University of Montana | Missoula, Montana | 1893 | Public | 13,352 | 1963 |
| Montana State University - Bozeman | Bozeman, Montana | 1893 | Public | 12,250 | 1963 |
| Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, Arizona | 1899 | Public | 18,824 | 1970 |
| University of Northern Colorado | Greeley, Colorado | 1889 | Public | 10,047 | 2006 |
| Portland State University | Portland, Oregon | 1946 | Public | 21,030 | 1996 |
| California State University, Sacramento | Sacramento, California | 1947 | Public | 27,972 | 1996 |
| Weber State University | Ogden, Utah | 1889 | Public | 18,059 | 1963 |
The University of Northern Colorado officially joined the Big Sky Conference on July 1, 2006, and will begin athletic competition in August of 2006.
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Conference facilities
| School | Football stadium | Stadium capacity | Basketball arena | Arena capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E. Washington | Woodward Field (primary) Joe Albi Stadium (secondary) | 8,600 28,646 | Reese Court | 6,000 |
| Idaho State | Holt Arena | 12,000 | Reed Gym | 3,040 |
| Montana | Washington Grizzly Stadium | 23,117 | Dahlberg Arena | 7,500 |
| Montana State | Bobcat Stadium | 15,000 | Worthington Arena | 6,378 |
| Northrn Arizona | Walkup Skydome | 16,230 | Walkup Skydome | 9,500 |
| Northern Colorado | Nottingham Field | 8,500 | Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion | 4,500 |
| Portland State | PGE Park | 20,000 | Stott Center | 1,500 |
| Sacramento State | Hornet Stadium | 26,000 | Hornets Nest | 1,200 |
| Weber State | Stewart Stadium | 17,312 | Dee Events Center | 11,592 |
Rivalries
With Conference schools- Football
- *Eastern Washington and Montana have engaged an annual rivalry, Montana currently leads the series which has produced some classic games, but has recently begun to resurge partly due to the rise of EWU football program. EWU, Montana and Montana State also get involved in an annual rivalry game when either of the two schools play at Eastern. The game is Called the Governors Cup, and usually a friendly wager is given between the Governors of Montana and Washington.
- *Montana and Montana State compete in an intense intrastate rivalry, there really is not a name given for this rivalry but when the two schools were featured in the 2004 edition of NCAA Football, EA Sports dubbed the game "The Brawl of the Wild."
- *Montana and Idaho have an intense inter-state rivalry that dates back to 1903. The teams played each other every year from 1914 - 1995 (with the exception of 1918, 1943 and 1944 when the schools did not field teams due to the war). The schools were conference mates from 1924 - 1949 in the Pacific Coast Conference (Now Pac-10 Conference), and from 1963 - 1995 in the Big Sky conference. Overall the teams have played each other 84 times, with Idaho leading the series 55-27-2. Each team has only played 1 other team more times (Idaho has played Washington State 89 times, Montana has played Montana State University 105 times as of 2005). The teams have only played 5 times since Idaho left the Big Sky conference after 1995 to move to I-A, with Montana winning the last 4, most recently in 2003. The winner of the game gets the "Little Brown Stein", which Montana will keep unless/until Idaho is able to win the game. The teams are currently not scheduled to renew the rivalry due to Idaho being in I-A and Montana in I-AA, and Idaho not being able/willing to pay a large enough guarantee for a home game against Montana, and is not willing to play a road game at Montana.
Former members (and years of membership)
- Boise State University - from 1970 to 1996 (to Big West, WAC)
- California State University, Northridge - from 1996 to 2001 (to Big West)
- Gonzaga University - from 1963 to 1979 (to West Coast Conf.)
- University of Idaho - from 1963 to 1996 (to Big West, Sun Belt, WAC)
- University of Nevada, Reno - from 1979 to 1992 (to Big West, WAC)
Championships
Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament history
External link
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