Big Sky expansion

[Bobcat4Ever]

Well, not happy to see more teams without axing the those from Oregon and California, but happy they are only 2-3 hours drive from home.

And I’m 60 minutes happier!

[Prodigal Cat]

Eww. Sounds like the BSC is preparing for something.

Sac State is leaving after this next academic year, and UC Davis basically has one foot out the door to join the MWC in football (non-football MWC member starting next year)

Sac is not leaving the Big Sky in football though, right? I thought it was all sports except football

Sac is completely gone from the Big Sky, and good riddance to them. They can ****** right off.

So, how long till they come back?

Pretty sure they burned that bridge.

Ummm SUU proves those bridges are fireproof.

...and Idawho too.

I don't remember SUU talking trash after they left. Sac St put up their own tombstone.

Its been reported multiple times by different people that SUU left spewing all kinds of hatred toward the conference. Matt Brown said on Colters show last week that he couldn't repeat what was said because it wouldn't clear FCC regulations.

[MSU01]

I think SUU should be required to play only road games for their first two seasons to make up for all the mean things they said on the way out.

[nevadacat]

I guess the Big Sky allowed Idaho back in the league, so allowing SUU to come crawling back is okay too. I don't know about Utah Tech, but if they can invest in and build their program, that will be fine.

At least Idaho (foolishly) left to move up, not sideways.

[damnyoutuesday]

Its been reported multiple times by different people that SUU left spewing all kinds of hatred toward the conference. Matt Brown said on Colters show last week that he couldn't repeat what was said because it wouldn't clear FCC regulations.

What the hell could SUU possibly have said on the way out? Even if they did say vile things, how delusional could they have been talking trash to us to jump to the WAC so their 8000 seat stadium could hypothetically make the leap to FBS

Colter is on here, so he could relay what was said without it implementing a fine to their show

[Helcat72]

Maybe they will change conferences till they find one they can finish in the top 6.

[Prodigal Cat]

Its been reported multiple times by different people that SUU left spewing all kinds of hatred toward the conference. Matt Brown said on Colters show last week that he couldn't repeat what was said because it wouldn't clear FCC regulations.

What the hell could SUU possibly have said on the way out? Even if they did say vile things, how delusional could they have been talking trash to us to jump to the WAC so their 8000 seat stadium could hypothetically make the leap to FBS

Colter is on here, so he could relay what was said without it implementing a fine to their show

I honestly have no idea but I do know several AD's and coaches (one Jeff Choate among them) were very critical of them being in the Big Sky. Their facilities and location leave lots to be desired for a program running as a D1 school. Maybe they felt slighted?

[Prodigal Cat]

I think SUU should be required to play only road games for their first two seasons to make up for all the mean things they said on the way out.

Now this is the kind of outside the box thinking I come here for. Good Idea!

[Prodigal Cat]

Maybe they will change conferences till they find one they can finish in the top 6.

Well they did win the Big Sky in 2015 and shared it in 2017. Its not like they were UNC. If you made a list of the 10 best players to play in the Big Sky of the 2010s Miles Killebrew is on that list, maybe second and James Cowser was one of better DE's I watched play in Bobcat Stadium.

They were a bubble team last season and could be a playoff team this year.

[MSUBobcat04]

Mediocre move for football, but it helps save Big Sky autobids in sports such as soccer and softball

Utah Tech and Northern Colorado can duke it out for worst team in the conference every year

Only softball, which would drop to 5 with Suck State's departure. Soccer would be at 8 still, well above the auto-bid requirement. Golf fell below the auto bid requirement but was already going to be back to 6 this year with EWU restarting its program and adding Francis Marion as an affiliate.

[RickRund]

Mediocre move for football, but it helps save Big Sky autobids in sports such as soccer and softball

Utah Tech and Northern Colorado can duke it out for worst team in the conference every year

Only softball, which would drop to 5 with Suck State's departure. Soccer would be at 8 still, well above the auto-bid requirement. Golf fell below the auto bid requirement but was already going to be back to 6 this year with EWU restarting its program and adding Francis Marion as an affiliate.

What does it mean being added as an affiliate. So ewu has not had golf but now will add it? Does that require ewu to add women’s golf? More funds required…

[damnyoutuesday]

Mediocre move for football, but it helps save Big Sky autobids in sports such as soccer and softball

Utah Tech and Northern Colorado can duke it out for worst team in the conference every year

Only softball, which would drop to 5 with Suck State's departure. Soccer would be at 8 still, well above the auto-bid requirement. Golf fell below the auto bid requirement but was already going to be back to 6 this year with EWU restarting its program and adding Francis Marion as an affiliate.

What does it mean being added as an affiliate. So ewu has not had golf but now will add it? Does that require ewu to add women’s golf? More funds required…

Being an affiliate means you are only in our conference for one sport. Like how Cal Poly and UC Davis are football affiliates in the Big Sky

[RickRund]

Mediocre move for football, but it helps save Big Sky autobids in sports such as soccer and softball

Utah Tech and Northern Colorado can duke it out for worst team in the conference every year

Only softball, which would drop to 5 with Suck State's departure. Soccer would be at 8 still, well above the auto-bid requirement. Golf fell below the auto bid requirement but was already going to be back to 6 this year with EWU restarting its program and adding Francis Marion as an affiliate.

What does it mean being added as an affiliate. So ewu has not had golf but now will add it? Does that require ewu to add women’s golf? More funds required…

Being an affiliate means you are only in our conference for one sport. Like how Cal Poly and UC Davis are football affiliates in the Big Sky

Thanks for the explanation…

That means some big time travel.

[kmax]

Mediocre move for football, but it helps save Big Sky autobids in sports such as soccer and softball

Utah Tech and Northern Colorado can duke it out for worst team in the conference every year

Only softball, which would drop to 5 with Suck State's departure. Soccer would be at 8 still, well above the auto-bid requirement. Golf fell below the auto bid requirement but was already going to be back to 6 this year with EWU restarting its program and adding Francis Marion as an affiliate.

What does it mean being added as an affiliate. So ewu has not had golf but now will add it? Does that require ewu to add women’s golf? More funds required…

Being an affiliate means you are only in our conference for one sport. Like how Cal Poly and UC Davis are football affiliates in the Big Sky

Thanks for the explanation…

That means some big time travel.

It's easier for golf. Other than the conference championship, the conference golf teams rarely are playing in the same tournaments together. These far off affiliates will continue to play the same tourneys in their areas for their season and then go to the BSC championship tourney.

[Montanabob]

Suck state must be hating life. Texas State from rust belt to PAC-2.reboot.

[WolfPtCat]

Suck state must be hating life. Texas State from rust belt to PAC-2.reboot.

I was in San Marcos, TX last week. It's a really cool college town. (Fun Fact: Texas St. is the only university in TX to produce a US President). They have very good facilities. I watched a mens bball game vs. UL-Monroe last trip. A few people I talked to were very excited about move to Pac-#. They loosely said "moving up to Power 5"!

[The Butcher]

Suck state must be hating life. Texas State from rust belt to PAC-2.reboot.

I was in San Marcos, TX last week. It's a really cool college town. (Fun Fact: Texas St. is the only university in TX to produce a US President). They have very good facilities. I watched a mens bball game vs. UL-Monroe last trip. A few people I talked to were very excited about move to Pac-#. They loosely said "moving up to Power 5"!

Over 40,000 students, making it only the 7th largest college in Texas.

[damnyoutuesday]

Texas State's stadium looks like a larger version of ours (except the press box is on the other sideline), and until recently was also called Bobcat Stadium

[Bobcat4Ever]

I’m happy to see the Big Sky return to Cedar City and add St. George because they are just 38 and 94 miles respectively from my home. Roads to St. George are snow-free and only intermittently snowy for a few days to Cedar City.

Here are some comparisons.

Elevation: Utah Tech 2,760. Southern Utah 5,846.
City populations: St. George 110,270. Cedar City 41,400.
County populations: Washington 202,452. Iron 66,044.
Time zones: Both in Mountain (MST, MDT).

Elevation advantage goes to Southern Utah as they will be second-highest to N. Arizona (officially 6,909), and the only school in the 5,000s. Weber, Montana State, Idaho State and No. Colorado occupy the 4,000s.

The St. George populations (city and metro) are both about triple that of Cedar City. Both areas are growing tremendously quickly with the outmigration from California (ref: Rick Rund). For Montana city comparisons, think Billings and Helena, although the metro population of St. George is more compact.

Both cities are along I-15. St. George owns the air with their relatively new airport just southeast of town. It has multiple, daily, non-stop flights to Salt Lake City via Delta and Denver via United, serviced by 70-passenger regional jets. It’s been great for us, as a closer, easier, less-crowded alternative to Las Vegas. Team charters may still use Las Vegas, but for fans, it’s an easy trip now to St. George. If you want to do a basketball or volleyball double-header, fly into SGU and rent a car — but check the driving conditions to Cedar City first.

I attended the MSU @ UTech football game last August 31. The game had an 8 p.m. start since it was still summer. Temperature at kickoff was 96° and 85° at the end. Limited humidity, no bugs, light breeze. It was the most comfortable I’ve ever been at a football game, just right for shorts and a Bobcat T-shirt. The stadium is that of a large high school quality and size, very well-maintained, nice video board. It was only half full with sideline tickets outside the 25s for $5.00. They are really, really going to have to ramp up ticket sales and prices to keep up. If Big Sky football catches on there they have the city size and infrastructure to be a real contributor to the conference.

I’ve only attended an MSU Bobcats women’s basketball game at Southern Utah. Very nice facility, parking was a bit limited. I will say that the fans there were the nicest we’ve ever encountered on the road anywhere. We had a great time watching our Oliana Squires / Fallyn Freije led team down the T-Birds by 16 points. Nice trip. Then came Covid, then they left the league. A pretty small city but they did pretty well before.

Give UTech a few years to get up and running. Neither of these teams will be another N. Colorado. Already nicer facilities, campuses, places to attend a game. Family-oriented atmospheres. Welcome 2026.

[TomCat88]

I’m happy to see the Big Sky return to Cedar City and add St. George because they are just 38 and 94 miles respectively from my home. Roads to St. George are snow-free and only intermittently snowy for a few days to Cedar City.

Here are some comparisons.

Elevation: Utah Tech 2,760. Southern Utah 5,846.
City populations: St. George 110,270. Cedar City 41,400.
County populations: Washington 202,452. Iron 66,044.
Time zones: Both in Mountain (MST, MDT).

Elevation advantage goes to Southern Utah as they will be second-highest to N. Arizona (officially 6,909), and the only school in the 5,000s. Weber, Montana State, Idaho State and No. Colorado occupy the 4,000s.

The St. George populations (city and metro) are both about triple that of Cedar City. Both areas are growing tremendously quickly with the outmigration from California (ref: Rick Rund). For Montana city comparisons, think Billings and Helena, although the metro population of St. George is more compact.

Both cities are along I-15. St. George owns the air with their relatively new airport just southeast of town. It has multiple, daily, non-stop flights to Salt Lake City via Delta and Denver via United, serviced by 70-passenger regional jets. It’s been great for us, as a closer, easier, less-crowded alternative to Las Vegas. Team charters may still use Las Vegas, but for fans, it’s an easy trip now to St. George. If you want to do a basketball or volleyball double-header, fly into SGU and rent a car — but check the driving conditions to Cedar City first.

I attended the MSU @ UTech football game last August 31. The game had an 8 p.m. start since it was still summer. Temperature at kickoff was 96° and 85° at the end. Limited humidity, no bugs, light breeze. It was the most comfortable I’ve ever been at a football game, just right for shorts and a Bobcat T-shirt. The stadium is that of a large high school quality and size, very well-maintained, nice video board. It was only half full with sideline tickets outside the 25s for $5.00. They are really, really going to have to ramp up ticket sales and prices to keep up. If Big Sky football catches on there they have the city size and infrastructure to be a real contributor to the conference.

I’ve only attended an MSU Bobcats women’s basketball game at Southern Utah. Very nice facility, parking was a bit limited. I will say that the fans there were the nicest we’ve ever encountered on the road anywhere. We had a great time watching our Oliana Squires / Fallyn Freije led team down the T-Birds by 16 points. Nice trip. Then came Covid, then they left the league. A pretty small city but they did pretty well before.

Give UTech a few years to get up and running. Neither of these teams will be another N. Colorado. Already nicer facilities, campuses, places to attend a game. Family-oriented atmospheres. Welcome 2026.

Nice write up. I'm an I-15 fan, so adding two more teams to the route is great. I count Bozeman as I-15 because I take about 30 miles of it to go to Bozeman usually. But Pocatello, Odgen, Cedar City and St. George is a great core for the league. I think that's about a 400-mile stretch. It's very cool for those teams being so close together. It really helps Weber St.