Big Sky Approves Two Applicants Conference Set To Expand With Sacramento, Northridge

The Big Sky Athletic Conference on Tuesday accepted the bids by California State-Sacramento and California State-Northridge to join the conference.

The conference’s Presidents Council voted unanimously to make the universities members-elect. They’ll begin competing in the conference next year.

The Big Sky will then grow to a nine-member conference. Portland State, admitted last May, will join the conference, while Boise State and the University of Idaho will leave for the Big West Conference in July.

Big Sky commissioner Doug Fullerton said a committee had visited both campuses and the presidents there had agreed to meet certain requirements.

“While we plan to have all three schools begin play as early as 1996, this has become somewhat tricky because of the existing contracts the schools have with other institutions,” Fullerton said.

Mark Drummond, chairman of the Big Sky president’s council, said the continuing conference members are enthusiastic. “This will be good for the Big Sky and provide stability,” said Drummond, president of Eastern Washington University.

“It was logical for the league to expand into California,” he said.

Fullerton said that with the league’s 60-plus scholarship base, “… both Sacramento and Northridge will be very competitive in football, much like they already are in other sports.”

After the changes next summer, the Big Sky will include Portland State, Northridge, Sacramento, Eastern Washington, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Northern Arizona and Weber State.