SPOKANE, Washington (July 24, 2021) – When the Big Sky Conference becomes a 12-team football league next season, what will that look like? Well, after a process that began over six months ago, that future has been carefully crafted with today’s announcement of the 2022-24 conference football schedules.
For a full look at all 12 school's schedules, click here.
The future 2022-24 schedules will still feature eight league games that include two annual opponents, some of whom have changed since the last time, and six rotating opponents. This format was selected in part based on feedback from the league membership about wanting to make sure teams did not go a long time during the three-year slate without playing a fellow conference opponent.
“The Big Sky’s new football scheduling model preserves so many of our most historic annual rivalries while ensuring a balanced rotation of playing each conference opponent,” Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said. “For this three-year scheduling block that begins in 2022, our 12 football programs and their supporters will enjoy knowing that each school will play every other Big Sky school at least twice – once at home and once on the road – so each player will have the opportunity to compete in every stadium and each local fanbase will have the chance to see every conference team come to their town.”
League schools also had increased input into the scheduling process, with each institution allowed to request their preferred annual opponents (every school was granted at least one of their requests) and one week per season during which they would like to be home or not at home (either away or open). The nine non-California-based teams will play one game each season at either Cal Poly, Sacramento State, or UC Davis, and will host one of those three every year as well.
Saturday's announcement comes ahead of the Big Sky Football Kickoff, as the league's football teams and their media contingencies descend upon Spokane, Washington, for the annual event. Monday will feature more than five hours of live coverage from the Davenport Grand Hotel beginning at 9 a.m. PT on ESPN+, with the Big Sky's Mariluz Cook set to interview two student-athletes and the head coach from all 13 football teams as well as Commissioner Tom Wistrcill. The broadcast will be the first for the Big Sky on ESPN+ following the league's landmark deal with the Worldwide Leader in Sports back that was announced in June.
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