Big Sky Conference
Members 2026-27 Football Basketball Year
Joined
Cal Poly Big Sky Big West 2012
Eastern Washington Big Sky Big Sky 1987
Idaho Big Sky Big Sky 2014
Idaho State Big Sky Big Sky 1963
Montana Big Sky Big Sky 1963
Montana State Big Sky Big Sky 1963
Northern Arizona Big Sky Big Sky 1970
Northern Colorado Big Sky Big Sky 2006
Portland State Big Sky Big Sky 1996
Southern Utah Big Sky Big Sky 2026
UC Davis Big Sky Mountain West 2012
Utah Tech Big Sky Big Sky 2026
Weber State Big Sky Big Sky 1963
Total Teams 13 11
2025 Operating Results: Big Sky Conference Averages
Per NCAA reporting, Big Sky Schools averaged operating revenues of almost $ 7 million and operating expenses of $ 28 million, resulting in a net operating loss of $ 21 million per school in 2025. These losses were funded by booster contributions averaging $ 3 million per school and combined school support and student fees averaging $ 18 million per school:
Net Operating Results
Big Sky SchoolsAverage
2025 ($)
Operating Revenue 6,911,417
Operating Expenses 27,955,119
Net Operating Loss -21,043,702
Booster Contributions 2,768,887
School Support & Student Fees 17,911,968
Endowment & Investment 203,561
Net Surplus (Deficit) ($) -159,286
2025 Operating Results: Big Sky Conference Schools
Based on average school operating revenue of $6.9 (see table below), estimated revenue sharing using the 22% NCAA benchmark results in an average of about $ 1.5 million per Big Sky school. Revenue sharing is optional, schools may pay more or less than the 22% NCAA benchmark as long as total payments do not exceed $ 21.3 million for the 2026-27 fiscal year. Schools can also opt out of revenue sharing entirely.
2025 Results ($) Big Sky Schools * | Operating Revenue | Operating Expenses | (Loss) from Operations | Contributions | Student Fees & School Support | Endowment & Investment | Surplus (Deficit) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||
| Cal Poly | 6,137,198 | 47,162,060 | -41,024,862 | 5,844,299 | 31,558,315 | 410,014 | -3,212,234 |
| Eastern Washington | 3,813,170 | 21,885,980 | -18,072,810 | 1,035,821 | 17,204,104 | 167,115 | |
| Idaho | 7,430,191 | 26,143,758 | -18,713,567 | 2,996,850 | 14,106,444 | 655,583 | -954,690 |
| Idaho State | 4,127,865 | 18,079,260 | -13,951,395 | 2,504,123 | 11,348,573 | -98,699 | |
| Montana | 13,258,573 | 30,821,607 | -17,563,034 | 6,292,906 | 9,692,608 | 244,078 | -1,333,442 |
| Montana State | 13,068,578 | 33,485,352 | -20,416,774 | 6,596,760 | 14,302,970 | 304,483 | 787,439 |
| Northern Arizona | 4,783,535 | 26,868,583 | -22,085,048 | 591,463 | 21,099,679 | 151,174 | -242,732 |
| Portland State | 3,385,719 | 19,186,974 | -15,801,255 | 171,961 | 13,432,891 | 2,796 | -2,193,607 |
| Southern Utah | 4,978,830 | 18,623,590 | -13,644,760 | 779,827 | 14,599,437 | 28,101 | 1,762,605 |
| UC Davis | 6,827,091 | 54,663,602 | -47,836,511 | 2,874,255 | 40,282,520 | 319,033 | -4,360,703 |
| Utah Tech | 9,853,957 | 18,770,584 | -8,916,627 | 1,947,500 | 14,740,166 | 28,818 | 7,799,857 |
| Weber State | 5,272,294 | 19,770,080 | -14,497,786 | 1,590,881 | 12,575,914 | 298,647 | -32,344 |
| Average per School ($) | 6,911,417 | 27,955,119 | -21,043,702 | 2,768,887 | 17,911,968 | 203,561 | -159,286 |
* Per most recent NCAA Reporting. Data not currently available for Northern Colorado.
2025 Operating Revenues: Big Sky Conference Schools
Operating Revenues are sources of income received from exchange transactions. This is distinct from athletic department support such as booster contributions, student fees and school funding. This distinction is important when evaluating an organization’s ability to meet expenses.
Operating Revenues ($) Big Sky Schools 2025 * | Total Revenue | Ticket Sales | Media & Conference | Game Guarantees | NCAA Payments | Licenses & Sponsorships | Other Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Cal Poly | 6,137,198 | 676,339 | 1,250 | 1,060,800 | 1,647,744 | 556,260 | 2,194,805 |
| Eastern Washington | 3,813,170 | 943,643 | 81,175 | 922,500 | 816,805 | 266,034 | 783,013 |
| Idaho | 7,430,191 | 657,127 | 509,255 | 1,612,915 | 1,152,549 | 1,357,405 | 2,140,940 |
| Idaho State | 4,127,865 | 464,989 | 66,625 | 966,295 | 1,259,570 | 638,449 | 731,937 |
| Montana | 13,258,573 | 6,795,168 | 215,869 | 392,900 | 1,006,184 | 1,871,333 | 2,977,119 |
| Montana State | 13,068,578 | 6,306,616 | 2,856,462 | 1,030,400 | 916,144 | 246,033 | 1,712,923 |
| Northern Arizona | 4,783,535 | 570,060 | 137,075 | 843,900 | 1,084,538 | 1,666,735 | 481,227 |
| Portland State | 3,385,719 | 198,658 | - | 1,388,500 | 1,283,071 | 485,990 | 29,500 |
| Southern Utah | 4,978,830 | 229,573 | 2,000,000 | 1,289,600 | 1,127,902 | 178,388 | 153,367 |
| UC Davis | 6,827,091 | 1,105,071 | 209,598 | 1,042,000 | 1,912,401 | 1,197,227 | 1,360,794 |
| Utah Tech | 9,853,957 | 310,363 | 3,157,100 | 883,500 | 3,563,084 | 1,354,703 | 585,207 |
| Weber State | 5,272,294 | 840,675 | 81,175 | 1,092,801 | 1,012,924 | 1,318,110 | 926,609 |
| Average per School ($) | 6,911,417 | 1,591,524 | 776,299 | 1,043,843 | 1,398,576 | 928,056 | 1,173,120 |
* Per most recent NCAA Reporting. Data not currently available for Northern Colorado.
2025 Operating Expenses: Big Sky Conference Schools
Operating Expenses ($) Big Sky Schools 2025 * | Total Expenses | Coaching Salaries | Admin Salaries | Athletic Scholarships | Game Guarantees | Severance Payments | Recruiting | Team Travel | Uniforms & Equipment | Game Day Expenses | Marketing & Fundraising | Athletic facility debt service, rents & leases | Athletic facility operating costs | Athlete Medical | Athlete Meals | Post-season Expenses | Overhead & Administration | Other Oper Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||
| Cal Poly | 47,162,060 | 9,077,577 | 4,513,109 | 8,045,734 | 178,274 | 681,363 | 4,083,211 | 1,140,257 | 1,003,311 | 1,031,307 | 151,132 | 276,553 | 555,150 | 116,522 | 139,309 | 12,326,302 | 3,842,949 | |
| Eastern Washington | 21,885,980 | 4,542,629 | 2,383,146 | 4,864,578 | 551,000 | 422,332 | 2,294,960 | 1,163,171 | 1,094,927 | 20,401 | - | - | 428,622 | 724,680 | - | 2,456,217 | 939,317 | |
| Idaho | 26,143,758 | 4,018,356 | 4,383,538 | 6,362,184 | 266,933 | - | 490,561 | 2,825,004 | 955,945 | 1,008,994 | 390,344 | 1,180,000 | 3,703 | 473,617 | 628,004 | 287,032 | 778,949 | 2,090,594 |
| Idaho State | 18,079,260 | 3,482,530 | 2,214,851 | 3,531,702 | 119,693 | 291,496 | 2,526,504 | 896,379 | 358,995 | 69,163 | - | 177,510 | 435,871 | 442,637 | - | 2,218,733 | 1,313,196 | |
| Montana | 30,821,607 | 5,161,206 | 4,607,112 | 6,731,599 | 808,470 | 81,692 | 547,507 | 2,517,875 | 1,050,786 | 1,525,069 | 418,970 | 1,170,572 | 764,727 | 536,513 | 602,149 | 371,915 | 1,309,577 | 2,615,868 |
| Montana State | 33,485,352 | 5,897,847 | 4,066,075 | 7,187,132 | 670,517 | 137,201 | 483,355 | 2,863,706 | 730,386 | 793,821 | 274,756 | 1,848,364 | 539,640 | 673,952 | 793,093 | 2,546,453 | 197,062 | 3,781,992 |
| Northern Arizona | 26,868,583 | 4,768,864 | 3,667,802 | 7,864,822 | 77,726 | 314,700 | 2,765,238 | 1,279,027 | 377,809 | 51,755 | 2,702,160 | 33,912 | 328,630 | 305,908 | 208,468 | 1,550,931 | 570,831 | |
| Portland State | 19,186,974 | 3,865,417 | 3,240,417 | 5,782,312 | 48,000 | 32,386 | 268,498 | 2,507,333 | 185,764 | 446,529 | 312,770 | 303,520 | 9,423 | 398,974 | 345,726 | - | 772,902 | 667,003 |
| Southern Utah | 18,623,590 | 3,785,460 | 3,179,179 | 5,213,637 | 53,685 | 254,498 | 2,463,886 | 786,546 | 345,671 | 24,353 | 180,545 | - | - | 715,100 | 1,621,030 | |||
| UC Davis | 54,663,602 | 8,887,647 | 9,741,912 | 11,013,510 | 33,500 | 539,135 | 3,445,458 | 2,303,747 | 1,283,722 | 497,079 | 1,638,190 | 2,015,977 | 250,680 | 1,209,489 | 256,837 | 7,574,001 | 3,972,718 | |
| Utah Tech | 18,770,584 | 3,966,648 | 1,999,800 | 3,859,511 | 239,000 | 239,190 | 284,457 | 2,480,289 | 1,205,666 | 638,934 | 994,948 | 709,935 | 261,667 | 483,374 | 506,770 | 23,391 | 58,050 | 818,954 |
| Weber State | 19,770,080 | 4,141,294 | 2,339,740 | 5,445,712 | 32,592 | 359,767 | 2,493,037 | 937,987 | 501,096 | 450,938 | 20,151 | 444,284 | 383,849 | 24,239 | 209,056 | 1,986,338 | ||
| Average per School ($) | 27,955,119 | 5,132,956 | 3,861,390 | 6,325,203 | 256,616 | 40,872 | 411,472 | 2,772,208 | 1,052,972 | 781,573 | 378,065 | 810,335 | 340,259 | 432,518 | 504,902 | 321,470 | 2,513,907 | 2,018,399 |
* Per most recent NCAA Reporting. Data not currently available for Northern Colorado.
EADA Operating Expenses: Big Sky Conference Schools 2022-25
Per EADA (aka Title IX) reporting, average 2025 athletic department operating costs were $ 23 million for Big Sky schools, a 28% increase in expenses over a 3-year span:
Athletic Department
Annual Expenses *Football
ConferenceBasketball
ConferenceFY 2025 ($) FY 2024 ($) FY 2023 ($) FY 2022 ($) 3-year %
Increase
Cal Poly Big Sky Big West 45,535,245 35,298,634 30,710,336 27,857,623 63%
Eastern Washington Big Sky Big Sky 21,820,282 20,082,060 19,263,928 15,915,979 37%
Idaho Big Sky Big Sky 23,432,394 24,112,825 23,141,397 17,610,083 33%
Idaho State Big Sky Big Sky 20,271,087 17,201,288 15,560,263 14,682,279 38%
Montana Big Sky Big Sky 30,414,535 28,044,922 23,951,594 22,283,988 36%
Montana State Big Sky Big Sky 32,910,346 28,597,087 28,589,654 26,119,361 26%
Northern Arizona Big Sky Big Sky 27,075,364 29,460,146 22,619,926 22,649,615 20%
Northern Colorado Big Sky Big Sky 23,188,137 21,711,259 20,171,855 18,798,907 23%
Portland State Big Sky Big Sky 19,186,971 17,520,602 18,490,681 16,160,889 19%
Southern Utah Big Sky Big Sky 19,562,340 18,133,901 16,543,527 15,575,462 26%
UC Davis Big Sky Mountain West 46,854,471 46,626,686 40,571,193 34,863,428 34%
Utah Tech Big Sky Big Sky 18,870,761 18,137,527 16,250,328 13,987,948 35%
Weber State Big Sky Big Sky 19,668,633 18,284,425 17,889,271 17,080,383 15%
Average ($) 13 11 26,830,044 24,862,412 22,596,458 20,275,842 32%
* Expenses per Equity in Athletics Act (EADA) annual reporting. EADA differs from NCAA reporting with the primary difference being that EADA reporting does not require disclosure of payments made for athletic facilities debt service and leases. Consequently, EADA reporting typically results in lower annual expenses than NCAA reporting at most schools. See our methodology page for more detail and disclosures.
Estimated NCAA Revenue Sharing 2026-27: Big Sky Conference Schools
Based on average operating revenue of around $ 7 million per school (see tables above), estimated revenue sharing using the 22% NCAA benchmark results in an average of about $ 1.5 million per school. Revenue sharing is optional, schools may pay more or less than the 22% NCAA benchmark as long as total payments do not exceed $ 21.3 million for the 2026-27. Schools can also opt out of revenue sharing entirely. Revenue sharing does not include any third-party NIL athlete compensation.
We didn’t just make this stuff up … see our page on methodology and sources of information. Questions on our data? Contact us at: NIL-NCAA.com Statistics compiled & edited by Patrick O’Rourke CPA, Washington, DC 