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Big Sky schools have played in the FCS Championship game three times in the last six seasons, but came up short each time with losses to either South Dakota State or North Dakota State from the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Montana was the last victim, bowing 23-3 to South Dakota State this past January. The staunchest rival of the Griz, Montana State, was routed 38-10 by North Dakota State two years earlier (2021 season) and Eastern Washington was dropped by the Bison by a 38-24 count in 2018.
Big Sky schools have won 6 national titles with 2 belonging to Montana, 1 to Montana State,1 to Eastern Washington, 1 to Idaho State, and 1 to former member Boise State which moved to the FBS in 1996.
Last season, Montana claimed its first conference title since 2009 after winning outright (7) or sharing (5) every title from 1998 through 2009. The Griz also captured the 1993, 1995 and 1996 titles.
Source: Big Sky Conference website
*-denotes Spring football season after the fall schedule was canceled due to the Covid pandemic.
Teams in Bold won the FCS National Championship which began in 1978.
| Year | School | W-L |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Idaho State | 3-1 |
| 1964 | Montana State | 3-0 |
| 1965 | Weber State/Idaho | 3-1 |
| 1966 | Montana State | 4-0 |
| 1967 | Montana State | 4-0 |
| 1968 | Weber State/Montana State/Idaho | 3-1 |
| 1969 | Montana | 4-0 |
| 1970 | Montana | 5-0 |
| 1971 | Idaho | 4-1 |
| 1972 | Montana State | 5-1 |
| 1973 | Boise State | 6-0 |
| 1974 | Boise State | 6-0 |
| 1975 | Boise State | 5-0-1 |
| 1976 | Montana State | 6-0 |
| 1977 | Boise State | 6-0 |
| 1978 | Northern Arizona | 6-0 |
| 1979 | Montana State | 6-1 |
| 1980 | Boise State | 6-1 |
| 1981 | Idaho State | 6-1 |
| 1982 | Idaho, Montana, Montana State | 5-2 |
| 1983 | Nevada | 6-1 |
| 1984 | Montana State | 6-1 |
| 1985 | Idaho | 6-1 |
| 1986 | Nevada | 7-0 |
| 1987 | Idaho | 7-1 |
| 1988 | Idaho | 7-1 |
| 1989 | Idaho | 8-0 |
| 1990 | Nevada | 7-1 |
| 1991 | Nevada | 8-0 |
| 1992 | Idaho | 6-1 |
| 1993 | Montana | 7-0 |
| 1994 | Boise State | 6-1 |
| 1995 | Montana | 6-1 |
| 1996 | Montana | 8-0 |
| 1997 | Eastern Washington | 7-1 |
| 1998 | Montana | 6-2 |
| 1999 | Montana | 7-1 |
| 2000 | Montana | 8-0 |
| 2001 | Montana | 7-0 |
| 2002 | Montana State, Montana, Idaho State | 5-2 |
| 2003 | Montana State, Montana, Northern Arizona | 5-2 |
| 2004 | Montana, Eastern Washington | 6-1 |
| 2005 | Eastern Washington, Montana State, Montana | 5-2 |
| 2006 | Montana | 8-0 |
| 2007 | Montana | 8-0 |
| 2008 | Montana & Weber State | 7-1 |
| 2009 | Montana | 8-0 |
| 2010 | Eastern Washington & Montana State | 7-1 |
| 2011 | Montana State | 7-1 |
| 2012 | Eastern Washington, Montana State, Cal Poly | 7-1 |
| 2013 | Eastern Washington | 8-0 |
| 2014 | Eastern Washington | 7-1 |
| 2015 | Southern Utah | 7-1 |
| 2016 | Eastern Washington, North Dakota | 8-0 |
| 2017 | Southern Utah, Weber State | 7-1 |
| 2018 | Weber State, Eastern Washington, UC Davis | 7-1 |
| 2019 | Weber State, Sacramento State | 7-1 |
| *-2021 | Weber State | 5-1 |
| 2021 | Sacramento State | 8-0 |
| 2022 | Montana State, Sacramento State | 8-0 |
| 2023 | Montana | 7-1 |
- arranged in order of won-loss percentage
| Team | Won | Lost | Tied | Pct. | Years | Total games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Washington | 579 | 436 | 22 | .569 | 114 | 1037 |
| UC Davis | 548 | 439 | 33 | .553 | 104 | 1020 |
| Montana | 637 | 515 | 26 | .552 | 123 | 1163 |
| Cal Poly | 518 | 452 | 19 | .533 | 104 | 989 |
| Montana State | 546 | 504 | 34 | .519 | 118 | 1084 |
| Northern Arizona | 497 | 485 | 23 | .506 | 108 | 1005 |
| Weber State | 339 | 339 | 3 | .500 | 61 | 681 |
| Portland State | 348 | 377 | 7 | .480 | 68 | 732 |
| Idaho State | 482 | 561 | 20 | .463 | 118 | 1063 |
| Sacramento State | 320 | 400 | 8 | .445 | 68 | 728 |
| Idaho | 490 | 644 | 26 | .434 | 124 | 1160 |
Big Sky schools, like all other FCS schools, normally play an 11-game schedule, but because there is an extra week on the calendar from start to finish of the 2024, 2025 and 2030 seasons, FCS schools will be permitted to play a 12-game slate or schedule an extra BYE week.
All of the Big Sky schools have opted to play 12 games in 2024, except for Cal Poly which still had just 11 scheduled as of June 2.
Five conferences have changes in their membership in 2024, but the Big Sky remains intact with these 12 schools:
Cal Poly
Eastern Washington
Idaho
Idaho State
Montana
Montana State
Northern Arizona
Northern Colorado
Portland State
Sacramento State
UC Davis
Weber State
8/31 at San Diego
9/7 at Stanford (FBS)
9/14 Western Oregon (D2)
9/28 at Northern Colorado
10/5 Idaho State
10/12 at UC Davis
10/19 at Idaho
11/2 Montana
11/9 Northern Arizona
11/16 Sacramento State
11/23 at Weber State
8/29 Monmouth
9/7 Drake
9/14 at SE Louisiana
9/21 at Nevada (FBS)
9/28 Montana
10/12 at Sacramento State
10/19 UC Davis
10/26 at Idaho
11/2 Montana State
11/9 at Northern Colorado
11/16 Idaho State
11/23 at Northern Arizona
8/31 at Oregon (FBS)
9/7 at Wyoming (FBS)
9/14 UAlbany
9/21 at Abilene Christian
9/28 at UC Davis
10/5 Northern Arizona
10/12 at Montana State
10/19 Cal Poly
10/26 Eastern Washington
11/9 at Portland State
11/16 Weber State
11/23 at Idaho State
8/31 at Oregon State (FBS)
9/7 Western Oregon (D2)
9/14 at North Dakota
9/21 Southern Utah
9/28 Montana State
10/5 at Cal Poly
10/12 Portland State
10/19 at Northern Arizona
10/26 Sacramento State
11/9 at Weber State
11/16 at Eastern Washington
11/23 Idaho
8/31 Missouri State
9/7 at North Dakota
9/14 Morehead State
9/21 Western Carolina
9/28 at Eastern Washington
10/5 Weber State
10/12 Northern Arizona
10/26 at Northern Colorado
11/2 at Cal Poly
11/9 UC Davis
11/16 Portland State
11/23 at Montana State
8/24 at New Mexico (FBS)
8/31 at Utah Tech
9/7 Maine
9/21 Mercyhurst
9/28 at Idaho State
10/5 Northern Colorado
10/12 Idaho
10/19 at Portland State
11/2 at Eastern Washington
11/9 Sacramento State
11/16 at UC Davis
11/23 Montana
8/31 Lincoln, CA (D2)
9/7 at Arizona (FBS)
9/14 at Utah Tech
9/21 at Incarnate Word
9/28 Sacramento State
10/5 at Idaho
10/12 at Montana
10/19 Idaho State
11/2 Weber State
11/9 at Cal Poly
11/16 at Northern Colorado
11/23 Eastern Washington
8/31 at Incarnate Word
9/7 at Colorado State (FBS)
9/14 Abilene Christian
9/21 at Stephen F. Austin
9/28 Cal Poly
10/5 at Montana State
10/12 at Weber State
10/26 Montana
11/2 at UC Davis
11/9 Eastern Washington
11/16 Northern Arizona
11/23 at Portland State
8/31 at Washington State (FBS)
9/7 at Weber State
9/14 South Dakota
9/21 at Boise State (FBS)
9/28 at Chattanooga
10/5 UC Davis
10/12 at Idaho State
10/19 Montana State
11/2 at Sacramento State
11/9 Idaho
11/16 at Montana
11/23 Northern Colorado
8/29 at San Jose State (FBS)
9/7 at Fresno State (FBS)
9/14 Nicholls
9/21 at Texas A&M - Commerce
9/28 at Northern Arizona
10/12 Eastern Washington
10/19 Weber State
10/26 at Idaho State
11/2 Portland State
11/9 at Montana State
11/16 at Cal Poly
11/23 UC Davis
8/31 at California (FBS)
9/7 Texas A&M University - Commerce
9/14 at Southern Utah
9/21 Utah Tech
9/28 Idaho
10/5 at Portland State
10/12 Cal Poly
10/19 at Eastern Washington
11/2 Northern Colorado
11/9 at Montana
11/16 Montana State
11/23 at Sacramento State
8/31 at Washington (FBS)
9/7 Portland State
9/14 at Lamar
9/21 at NW State, La.
9/28 McNeese
10/5 at Montana
10/12 Northern Colorado
10/19 at Sacramento State
11/2 at Northern Arizona
11/9 Idaho State
11/16 at Idaho
11/23 Cal Poly