FARMINGTON, Utah (July 17, 2026) – For the eighth time since 2018, the Big Sky Kickoff Weekend returns to the Inland Northwest, as the event will host student-athletes, head coaches, assistant coaches, administrators, and media from around the conference.
The 2026 Big Sky Kickoff Weekend, sponsored by the Northern Quest Resort & Casino, is slated for July 24-27 at Northern Quest in Airways Heights, Washington, just four miles from the Spokane International Airport.
Media can apply for credentials to attend and cover the 2026 Big Sky Kickoff Weekend by following this
link.
For the second-straight year, the league will host its Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Summer Meeting as part of the Big Sky Kickoff Weekend, with members from around the conference traveling for the annual gathering that starts on Friday, July 24. This meeting includes student-athletes representing all 11 Big Sky current full member institutions, with participants sharing ideas and providing input on a variety of conference and national issues related to their student-athlete experiences. SAAC representatives will also receive media training, take part in promotional content for the conference, and volunteer for local community service initiatives.
2026 Big Sky SAAC Attendees
Alton Hamilton IV, Eastern Washington, Men's Basketball
Boden Gardner, Eastern Washington, Football
Amelia Ward, Idaho, Women's Swim & Dive
Ella Uriarte, Idaho, Women's Basketball
Chelsea Uba, Idaho State, Women's Track & Field
Seth Babbel, Idaho State, Men's Track & Field
Kate Bogenschutz, Montana, Women's Golf
Drake Wilkes, Montana State, Men's Track & Field
Ronan Gallagher, Northern Arizona, Women's Track & Field
Emma Dasovich, Northern Arizona, Women's Basketball
Malaina Alifano, Northern Colorado, Softball
Mireya Ruiz, Northern Colorado, Women's Swim & Dive
Simon Walsh, Portland State, Men's Track & Field
Anna Jardin, Portland State, Softball
Kendall McGuire, Southern Utah, Women's Gymnastics
Tanner Crosland, Southern Utah, Men's Track & Field
Makayla Pitcher, Utah Tech, Women's Track & Field
Ryan Marks, Utah Tech, Football
Amanda Caswell, Weber State, Women's Soccer
Braylyn Bayer, Weber State, Women's Golf
The weekend continues on Saturday, July 25, as the league hosts its annual free youth football clinic from 2:30-3:45 p.m. PT at North Central High School. Clinic participants will be instructed by student-athletes from the Big Sky's 13 football teams and will receive a free poster for autographs immediately following the event. Spokane Sports will support the event by providing essential gear and supplies, reinforcing their commitment to creating opportunities through sport and connecting young athletes with collegiate role models. The clinic is limited to the first 100 kids to register for the event at
BigSkyConf.com/YouthClinic.
Saturday evening will feature the 2026 Big Sky Hall of Fame Gala, beginning at 6:30 p.m. PT from the Northern Quest Resort & Casino, as the ceremony honors all eight inductees from the 2026 class. The gala will be held at the Pend Oreille Pavilion located on the north side of the Northern Quest Resort & Casino property. Saturday night's ceremony will air live on ESPN+ at 8:00 p.m. MT/7:00 p.m. PT.
2026 Big Sky Hall of Fame Class (Alphabetical Order)
Dennis Erickson, Idaho/Montana State (Football Student-Athlete/Head Coach)
Frank Hawkins, Nevada (Football Student-Athlete)
Eric Heins, Northern Arizona (Cross Country/Track and Field Head Coach)
Amber Henry, Weber State (Cross Country/Track and Field Student-Athlete)
Pam Parks, Eastern Washington (Volleyball Coach/Administrator)
Michael Ray Richardson, Montana (Men's Basketball Student-Athlete)
Jackie Ross Mattox, Idaho (Track and Field Student-Athlete)
Willie Sojourner, Weber State (Men's Basketball Student-Athlete)
Prior to Sunday's annual meetings for head coaches and athletic directors, attendees will participate in educational sessions led by Teamworks focused on maximizing Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities, followed by industry-led discussions covering the rapidly evolving collegiate athletics landscape. Sunday's meetings will also feature the return of "Big Sky U" to the Kickoff Weekend's programming, as 13 assistant coaches identified as emerging head coaching candidates will take part in training, mock interviews, and roundtable discussions to help prepare them for the next step in their coaching careers.
2026 Big Sky U Attendees
R. Todd Littlejohn, Cal Poly
Marc Anderson, Eastern Washington
Loren Endsley, Idaho
Devin Holiday, Idaho State
Eric Sanders, Montana
Jody Owens, Montana State
Bryan Larson, Northern Arizona
Aaron Fernandez, Northern Colorado
Patrick Belony, Portland State
Will Brunson, Southern Utah
Cody vonAppen, UC Davis
Ray Clark, Utah Tech
Tanner Jacobson, Weber State
On Monday, the Commissioner's State of the Conference Address will stream live on the Big Sky Conference's (@BigSkyConf) Facebook page at 9:00 a.m. MT/8:00 a.m. PT, followed by four hours of live coverage beginning at 10:00 a.m. MT/9:00 a.m. PT on ESPN+ and select Scripps Sports stations. The Big Sky's Meghan Robinson and Scripps Sports' Kyle Hansen will co-host the broadcast, which will feature interviews with representatives from all 13 football programs, Commissioner Tom Wistrcill and special guests throughout the show.
2026 Big Sky Football Kickoff Weekend Attendees
Cal Poly: Tim Skipper (HC), Leif Magnuson (OL), Mikey D'Amato (LB)
Eastern Washington: Aaron Best (HC), Malik Dotson (RB), Isaiah Perez (DL)
Idaho: Thomas Ford Jr. (HC), Joshua Wood (QB), Cruz Hepburn (LB)
Idaho State: Cody Hawkins (HC),
Jordan Cooke (QB),
Nathan Reynolds (LB)
Montana: Bobby Kennedy (HC), Eli Gillman (RB), Peyton Wing (LB)
Montana State: Brent Vigen (HC), Taco Dowler (WR), Caden Dowler (DB)
Northern Arizona: Brian Wright (HC), Ty Pennington (QB), Ammon Allen (LB)
Northern Colorado: Ed Lamb (HC), Levi Johnson (OL), Blake Weslin (DL)
Portland State: Chris Fisk (HC), Terence Loville (WR), Jaxton Helmstetler (LB)
Southern Utah: DeLane Fitzgerald (HC), Will Burns (QB), Lincoln Tuioti-Mariner (LB)
UC Davis: Tim Plough (HC), Samuel Gbatu, Jr. (WR), Drew Cofield (DB)
Utah Tech: Lance Anderson (HC), Ace Chatman (RB), Fasitootai Sagapolu (DL)
Weber State: Eric Kjar (HC), Devin Brown (QB), Trevian Tribble (DB)
Scripps Sports will produce both the Hall of Fame Gala and Monday's Media Day for the Big Sky Conference, with both shows airing on ESPN+ and select stations which can be found below.
Big Sky Hall of Fame Gala (Saturday, July 25 at 8:00 p.m. MT/7:00 p.m. PT)
The Spot: MTN
Missoula/Kalispell, MT
Billings, MT
Bozeman/Butte, MT
Great Falls, MT
Helena, MT
The Spot: Utah 16
Salt Lake City, UT
The Spot: Denver 3
Denver, CO
The Spot: Idaho
Boise, ID
Twin Falls, ID
The Spot: Arizona 61
Phoenix, AZ
The Spot: Arizona 58
Tucson, AZ
Big Sky Football Media Day (Monday, July 27 at 10:00 a.m. MT/9:00 a.m. PT)
The Spot: MTN
Missoula/Kalispell, MT
Billings, MT
Bozeman/Butte, MT
Great Falls, MT
Helena, MT
The Spot: Arizona 58
Tucson, AZ
