SPOKANE, Wash. (July 21, 2024) – For the sixth time in school history, the Weber State University athletic department has earned the Big Sky Conference Presidents’ Cup, the league office announced this evening.
The trophy was presented in conjunction with the Big Sky Football Kickoff Weekend at the Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Spokane, Washington.
The award promotes the Big Sky’s commitment to academics and recognizes a member school’s overall success in the classroom and athletic competition.
The Presidents’ Cup is given annually to the school that excels both academically and athletically and is measured by various categories. Final regular-season standings in eight of the league’s 14 sports make up the athletic portion of the Presidents’ Cup criteria. Points are also awarded in men’s and women’s cross-country, indoor and outdoor track & field, and golf according to a team’s finish at the Big Sky Championship. Teams receive an average point total per sport and then are ranked accordingly.
The academic tier measures the academic progress rate (APR) from the previous year, and each team’s grade point average (GPA) in Big Sky sponsored sports for the current year.
The Wildcats placed 80 student-athletes on the Big Sky Fall All-Academic Team, 70 on the Winter Team and 87 on the Spring Team, which honors student-athletes with over a 3.2 cumulative GPA.
Along with succeeding in the classroom, the Wildcats had an exciting year in the field of competition as well. WSU represented the Big Sky in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament after knocking off Montana State 3-2 in the championship match in Greeley, Colorado.
They’ve also been making national headlines since the conclusion of the men’s basketball season, as the Big Sky’s Most Valuable Player Dillon Jones was selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder and participated in the NBA Summer League.
Jones, along with volleyball player Dani Richins, were Weber State’s Scholar Athlete honorees for the Big Sky Conference.
Weber State will hold the Presidents’ Cup and display it for the next calendar year.
Northern Arizona finished second in the overall standings, followed by Montana in third. Idaho and Montana State rounded out the top five.
Tune in to ESPN+ tomorrow starting at 9:00 a.m. PT to hear from all 12 Big Sky head coaches and 24 student-athletes, along with a number of special guests. The 2024 Big Sky Football Kickoff Weekend show will be co-hosted by Big Sky Host & Reporter Meghan Robinson and Kyle Hansen from Scripps Sports.
Follow the Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky and TikTok for all the latest news around the league and use the hashtag #ExperienceElevated.
2023-24 Presidents’ Cup Final Standings
1 – Weber State
2 – Northern Arizona
3 – Montana
4 – Idaho
5 – Montana State
6 – Sacramento State
T7 – Eastern Washington
T7 – Idaho State
T9 – Northern Colorado
T9 – Portland State
Historical Presidents’ Cup Winners
2002-03: Weber State
2003-04: Weber State
2004-05: Montana State
2005-06: Northern Arizona
2006-07: Montana
2007-08: Weber State
2008-09: Weber State
2009-10: Eastern Washington
2010-11: Montana
2011-12: Montana State
2012-13: Northern Arizona
2013-14: Northern Arizona
2014-15: Eastern Washington
2015-16: Eastern Washington
2016-17: North Dakota
2017-18: Eastern Washington
2018-19: Weber State
2019-20: Not Awarded (COVID)
2020-21: Northern Arizona
2021-22: Northern Arizona
2022-23: Montana State
2023-24: Weber State