SPOKANE, Wash. (July 20, 2025) – For the first time in school history, the University of Idaho has been awarded the Big Sky Conference Presidents’ Cup, celebrating the conclusion of the 2024-25 athletic calendar.
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.
Idaho featured 78 members on the Fall All-Academic Team, 46 on the Winter All-Academic Team and 42 on the Spring All-Academic Team. While this isn’t a direct factor in the Presidents’ Cup, having 166 honorees is a solid indicator of academic success in Moscow.
This past week, women’s golfer Jenna Bruggeman and football player Tommy McCormick were named Big Sky Scholar Athletes for the Vandals.
On the gridiron, the Vandals finished the season 10-4 and made their third-consecutive trip to the FCS Playoffs.
Idaho finished second on the table for women’s soccer, securing the No. 2 overall seed in the Big Sky Championship with a 5-2-1 conference record.
In women’s basketball, they finished tied for third in the Big Sky standings, going 10-4 at home in Moscow. In men’s hoops, the Vandals claimed their first Big Sky Tournament victory since 2017 over Portland State in the Third Round.
The Idaho athletic department is led by Terry Gawlik, who has served as Director of Athletics since September of 2019.
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2024-25 Presidents’ Cup Final Standings
1 – Idaho
2 – Northern Arizona
3 – Weber State
4 – Montana State
5 – Idaho State
T6 – Eastern Washington
T6 – Northern Colorado
8 – Montana
9 – Sacramento State
10 – 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
2024-25: Idaho