April 28, 2011
Big Sky release and schedules
DAVIS, Calif. - Rivalry games at Cal Poly and home against Sacramento State highlight UC Davis' first-ever Big Sky Conference season in 2012, the league announced on Thursday afternoon while releasing conference schedules through 2015.
The Big Sky will be expanding to 13 teams next season with the addition of UC Davis, Cal Poly, Southern Utah and North Dakota and will compete in a one-division format. The Aggies and Mustangs are joining the Big Sky for the sport of football only.
Under the schedules released each team will annually play eight conference games, four each on the road and at home. Two designated rivals - Sacramento State and Cal Poly for UC Davis - will appear on the schedule each season. Each team will face the remainder of the Big Sky teams at least twice during the four-season span.
"We're embarking on an exciting time in the Big Sky with expansion,'' said conference Commissioner Doug Fullerton. "We've created an eight-game conference schedule that still allows our institutions non-conference scheduling flexibility. The format keeps several strong rivalries intact, and will create new rivalries.''
The Aggies' first official Big Sky game will be at Cal Poly on Sept. 22, 2012. They'll host Weber State, Montana State, Portland State and Sacramento State while also traveling to Idaho State, Northern Arizona and Eastern Washington.
In 2013, UC Davis will host Idaho State, Montana, Cal Poly and North Dakota while hitting the road for Southern Utah, Northern Colorado, Montana State and Sacramento State.
The league also announced that Big Sky teams may play other league teams in nonconference matchups to help in scheduling.
"Scheduling non-conference games, especially against other Championship Subdivision programs has become increasingly difficult in the West,'' Fullerton said. "Since nearly all of the FCS schools in the region now reside in the Big Sky Conference, our institutions need to have the option to play each other as non-conference opponents in years they aren't playing conference games.''
The regular-season champion will represent the Big Sky in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs. The conference will announce later tiebreaking procedures to help determine that champion.
UC Davis is currently in spring practices in preparation for the 2011 season, its final one in the Great West Conference.
