The Big Sky Conference
2 0 11 Idaho S tate S occer MedIa Guide
Big Sky Address
P.O. Box 1459 2491 Washington Blvd., Suite 201 Ogden, UT 84401
Phone Numbers Phone: 801-392-1978 Fax: 801-392-5568
Website
“www.bigskyconf.com”
Staff
Commissioner........................................................Doug Fullerton dfullerton@bigskyconference.org 801-392-1978, Ext. 10 Associate Commissioner............................................. Ron Loghry rloghry@bigskyconference.org 801-392-1978, Ext. 14 Asst. Commissioner/Media Relations......................... Jon Kasper jkasper@bigskyconference.org 801-392-1978, Ext. 16 Asst. Commissioner/Compliance........................ Jaynee Nadolski jnadolski@bigskyconference.org 801-392-1978, Ext. 15 Marketing................................................................. Tanner Gooch tgooch@bigskyconference.org 801-392-1978, Ext. 17 Asst. Media Relations............................................... Alyssa Askew aaskew@bigskyconference.org 801-392-1978, Ext. 12 Administrative Assistant..................................... Janet Carpenter jcarpenter@bigskyconference.org 801-392-1978, Ext. 10 Business Manager...................................................Christy Hatley chatley@bigskyconference.org 801-392-1978, Ext. 13
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BIG SKY CONFERENCE
The Big Sky Conference spanning from the Pacific Ocean enters its 49th year of to the Rocky Mountain Front. The athletic competition in Big Sky is represented along the 2011-12. The Big Sky entire west coast with schools in is an NCAA Division I Washington, Oregon and California. member in all sports, League schools also range up and with member institutions down the Rocky Mountains with classified in the institutions in Montana, Idaho, Football Championship Utah, Arizona and now Colorado. Subdivision (formally IOf the eight western-most states in the contiguous United States only AA). The Big Sky returned one, Nevada, is not represented in the Big Sky. to a nine-team format in On Feb 25, 1963, the name Big Sky was adopted by the six presidents 2006 with the addition of the charter members as the name of the new conference. The name of the University of Big Sky originated in a novel written by the late A.B. (Bud) Guthrie of Northern Colorado after Great Falls, Mont., in 1947 entitled “The Big Sky.” Jack Hollowell, a former spending five years as an Montana advertising director, promoted the Big Sky theme for the eight-member league. Treasure State, and Harry Missildine of the Spokane Spokesman-Review The current lineup called for the newly formed league to be named the Big Sky Conference includes Eastern Washington, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State*, in his column dated Feb. 20, 1963. Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Portland State, Sacramento State The Big Sky sponsors championships in 14 sports, including men’s and and Weber State. The league has become one of the strongest Division I women’s cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field, basketball conferences in the West and is a national leader in I-AA football. and tennis. In addition, there are also championships in football, and The Big Sky Conference was established in 1963 by six charter members women’s volleyball, golf and soccer. – Idaho, Idaho State, Gonzaga, Montana, Montana State* and Weber The 2007-08 season will mark the 20th year that the Big Sky Conference State. Those six schools formed the foundation of the Big Sky before the will sponsor championships in women’s sports. The former Mountain league expanded in 1970 by adding Boise State and Northern Arizona. West Conference existed from 1982-88, sponsoring championships for Gonzaga left the Sky in 1979 and was replaced by Nevada, which gave women’s sports at the same institutions the Big Sky had men’s programs. the league eight members. The conference grew to nine schools in 1987 The Big Sky merged with the Mountain West in 1988, forming one league with the addition of Eastern Washington. for both men and women. The 1990s saw change in the makeup of the league, beginning in 1992 Doug Fullerton, the fifth commissioner of the Big Sky Conference, will enter when Nevada departed and put the Big Sky back at eight teams. In 1996 his 12th year at the helm. Fullerton took over the Big Sky on July 1, 1995, Boise State and Idaho replacing longtime left and at the same commissioner time the conference Ron Stephenson. added Portland Stephenson served State, Sacramento the league for State and Cal State 14 years. Steve Northridge. The Big Belko was the Sky maintained nine commissioner from teams for five years 1977-81 while John before Cal State Roning held the Northridge departed post from 1971in the spring of 2001. 77. The first league Doug Fullerton Ron Loghry Jon Kasper Jaynee Nadolski With the addition of commissioner was Commissioner Associate Asst. Commissioner/ Asst. Commissioner/ Northern Colorado, Jack Friel, who served Commissioner Media Relations Compliance the Big Sky spreads from 1963-71. across seven states