Analysis

Expansion remains hot topic for the Big Sky

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PARK CITY, Utah — For the first 30 years of the Big Sky Conference, stability ruled supreme although expansion and retraction have long been a part of the storied history of the conference.

The league founded in 1963 included charter members Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State and Weber State. In 1970, Boise State and Northern Arizona joined the fold. In 1978, the league elected to move up from Division II to play I-AA football and the following year, Nevada joined the conference. In 1987, Eastern Washington came aboard, giving the Big Sky nine teams, a number that would hold steady for most of the next 20 years despite departures and replacements.

Former Northern Colorado defensive tackle Martin Awachie in 2006/by UNC Athletics

Former Northern Colorado defensive tackle Martin Awachie in 2006/by UNC Athletics

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About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

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