Editing Big Sky Conference (section)

=== Affiliates ===
[[File:CalPolyStadiumBigSkyFootballIn2023.jpg|alt=Cal Poly quarterback Sam Huard looks downfield during a Big Sky Conference football game against Northern Colorado on Oct. 21, 2023.|thumb|Cal Poly quarterback Sam Huard looks downfield during a Big Sky Conference football game against Northern Colorado on Oct. 21, 2023.]]
[[Cal Poly Mustangs football|Cal Poly]] and [[UC Davis Aggies football|UC Davis]] participate as football-only affiliates, otherwise participating in the [[Big West Conference]]. The [[Cal Poly Mustangs|Mustangs]] and [[UC Davis Aggies|Aggies]] were welcomed by the BSC in September 2010 in response to both nationwide conference realignment<ref>{{Cite news |last=Voisinavoisin |first=Ailene |date=September 8, 2010 |title=Big Sky, horizons open for UCD |pages=C1 |work=The Sacramento Bee}}</ref> and an expansion of the [[NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision|FCS]] playoff bracket at the time, according to then-commissioner Doug Fullerton.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Aird |first=Donovan |date=September 8, 2010 |title=Big Sky felt it needed to make a statement in conference realignment |pages=S1 |work=The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, CA)}}</ref>

Both [[Binghamton Bearcats|Binghamton]] and [[Hartford Hawks|Hartford]] of the [[America East Conference]] were affiliates in men's golf only from 2014 to 2023. Before the 2014–15 school year, the latter two schools had participated in men's golf alongside five full Big Sky members in the single-sport America Sky Conference.<ref name="Big Sky men's golf">{{cite news|url=http://www.standard.net/Sports/2014/06/04/Weber-State-joins-familiar-friends-foes-as-Big-Sky-brings-back-men-s-golf.html |title=WSU joins friends/foes as Big Sky brings back men's golf |first=Roy |last=Burton |newspaper=[[Standard-Examiner]] |location=Ogden, Utah |date=June 4, 2014 |access-date=June 13, 2014}}</ref> The return of Idaho brought the number of members participating in men's golf to six, which led to the Big Sky adding men's golf and absorbing the America Sky Conference. Both schools left after the 2022–23 athletic season, after Binghamton moved their program to the [[Northeast Conference]] and Hartford reclassified to [[NCAA Division III|Division III]] and joined the [[Commonwealth Coast Conference]]. By this time the number of full Big Sky members that sponsored men's golf had dropped to 4, below the 6 member minimum necessary for the conference champion to receive an autobid to the [[NCAA Division I men's golf championship]], so with the departure of the two affiliates, the Big Sky ceased sponsoring men's golf again after the 2024 season.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.greeleytribune.com/2024/05/07/northern-colorado-mens-golf-moving-to-the-summit-league-beginning-july-1/ |title=Northern Colorado men's golf moving to The Summit League beginning July 1 |first=Anne |last=Delaney |newspaper=Greeley Tribune |date=May 7, 2024 |access-date=May 8, 2024}}</ref>