Editing Big Sky Conference (section)

===Protected football rivalries===
Because there are 12 teams in the conference, but each team only plays eight conference football games per year, the conference has set two "protected rivalry" games for each team. These rivalry match-ups are played every season, while football games against other conference teams are played twice every three years. Many of the protected rivalries are traditional, due to the teams either being in the same state or within close geographical proximity. With the departure of Southern Utah from the conference, new protected rivalries were announced for 2022–2024;<ref>{{cite web|title=Big Sky Announces Future Football League Schedules for 2022-24|url=https://bigskyconf.com/news/2021/7/24/big-sky-announces-future-football-league-schedules-for-2022-24.aspx|website=Big Sky Conference|date=July 24, 2021|access-date=September 14, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Big Sky shakes up protected football rivalries|url=https://dnews.com/sports/big-sky-shakes-up-protected-football-rivalries/article_3a2db3f1-44c6-5c0b-b93f-ed50cb8e855b.html|work=Moscow-Pullman Daily News|author=<!--not stated-->|date=August 5, 2021|access-date=December 26, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Montana, Montana State get new protected rivals in Big Sky Conference play for 2022-24 seasons|url=https://406mtsports.com/college/big-sky-conference/montana-state-university/montana-montana-state-get-new-protected-rivals-in-big-sky-conference-play-for-2022-24/article_ae86c5df-5033-5806-b1a5-9c24b6fb5c97.html|work=406 MT Sports|first=Frank|last=Gogola|date=July 31, 2021|access-date=December 22, 2022}}</ref> these rivalries have since been extended through 2027.<ref>{{cite web|title=Big Sky Announces Future Football League Schedules for 2025-27|url=https://bigskyconf.com/news/2022/1/26/big-sky-announces-future-football-league-schedules-for-2025-27.aspx|website=Big Sky Conference|date=January 27, 2022|access-date=November 27, 2024}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!School
!Rival 1
!Rival 2
|-
|UC Davis
|Cal Poly
|Sacramento State
|-
|Cal Poly
|UC Davis
|Sacramento State
|-
|Eastern Washington
|Idaho
|Montana State
|-
|Idaho
|Idaho State
|Eastern Washington
|-
|Idaho State
|Idaho
|Weber State
|-
|Montana
|Montana State
|Portland State
|-
|Montana State
|Montana
|Eastern Washington
|-
|Northern Arizona
|Weber State
|Northern Colorado
|-
|Northern Colorado
|Northern Arizona
|Portland State
|-
|Portland State
|Montana
|Northern Colorado
|-
|Sacramento State
|UC Davis
|Cal Poly
|-
|Weber State
|Idaho State
|Northern Arizona
|}