Editing Big Sky Conference (section)

====NCAA tournament====
Since [[1968 NCAA University Division basketball tournament#West region|1968]], the Big Sky champion has received a berth in the [[NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship|NCAA tournament]]; the [[Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament|conference tournament]] winner has been the representative since its introduction in [[1976 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament|1976]].

The best finish by a Big Sky team came in [[1977 NCAA Division I basketball tournament|1977]], when the [[Idaho State Bengals men's basketball|Idaho State Bengals]] of [[Jim Killingsworth]] advanced to the [[1977 NCAA Division I basketball tournament#West region|Elite Eight]], with a one-point upset of [[UCLA Bruins men's basketball|UCLA]] in the Sweet Sixteen in [[Marriott Center|Provo, Utah]]. Two days later, the Bengals led [[UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball|UNLV]] by a point at halftime, but lost by seventeen and finished at {{nowrap|25–5.}}

Seeding was introduced in [[1979 NCAA Division I basketball tournament|1979]] when it expanded to forty teams, and the highest seed granted a Big Sky team was in [[1982 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1982]] in a 48-team bracket: ranked eighth in the [[1981–82 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings|final polls]] with a {{nowrap|26–2}} record, the [[1981–82 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team|Idaho Vandals]] under [[Don Monson]] were seeded third in the [[1982 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament#West region|West regional]]. After a first round bye, they beat [[Lute Olson]]'s [[1981–82 Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team|Iowa Hawkeyes]] in nearby [[Beasley Coliseum|Pullman]] in overtime, but lost to second-seeded (and fourth-ranked) [[Oregon State Beavers men's basketball|Oregon State]] in the regional semifinals (Sweet Sixteen), also played in Provo. (Idaho had defeated OSU by 22 points in December in the Far West Classic at [[Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland, Oregon)|Portland]].)

Other Big Sky teams that advanced to regional semifinals (Sweet Sixteen) include the [[1968–69 Weber State Wildcats men's basketball team|Weber State Wildcats]] in [[1969 NCAA University Division basketball tournament|1969]] and [[1972 NCAA University Division basketball tournament|1972]], when the total field was 25 teams, and the [[1974–75 Montana Grizzlies basketball team|Montana Grizzlies]] under [[Jud Heathcote]] in the 32-team field in [[1975 NCAA Division I basketball tournament|1975]]. The Griz fell to heavily-favored [[1974–75 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team|UCLA]] by just three points, who went on to win another title in [[John Wooden]]'s final year as head coach. (A&nbsp;year later, Heathcote was hired at [[1976–77 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team|Michigan State]] with Monson as an assistant for the first two years; in his third season, the Spartans won the national title in [[1978–79 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team|1979]].)

Since 1982, only three teams from the Big Sky have advanced within the NCAA tournament, and none past the round of 32. Weber State won in [[1995 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament#Southeast Regional – Birmingham, Alabama|1995]] and [[1999 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament#West Regional – Phoenix, Arizona|1999]], coached by [[Ron Abegglen]], and Montana in [[2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament#Minneapolis Regional|2006]], led by alumnus [[Larry Krystkowiak]]. Prior to Idaho in 1982, the Big Sky had been seeded seventh (Weber State, 1979 & 1980; and [[1980–81 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team|Idaho]], 1981); the highest seed for the conference since 1982 is ninth (Weber State, [[1983 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament#West region|1983]]), and the highest since expanding to 64 teams in [[1985 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1985]] is twelfth (Weber State in [[2003 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament#Midwest Regional – Minneapolis, Minnesota|2003]]; Montana in 2006).

Through 2025, the Big Sky has yet to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The first [[National Invitation Tournament|NIT]] appearance for the conference was [[1982–83 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team|Idaho]] in [[1983 National Invitation Tournament|1983]]; two Big Sky teams advanced to the NIT's round of 16: Weber State ([[1984 National Invitation Tournament|1984]]) and [[Boise State Broncos men's basketball|Boise State]] ([[1987 National Invitation Tournament|1987]]).