Formerly |
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Association | NCAA |
Founded | 1937 |
Ceased | 1962 |
Commissioner |
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Division | University Division |
No. of teams |
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Region | Western United States |
Locations | |
The Skyline Conference was a college athletic conference based in the Western United States that was active from December 1937 to June 1962. The conference's formal name was the Mountain States Athletic Conference, although it was also known as the Mountain States Conference along with informal but popular nicknames. It is unrelated to the contemporary Skyline Conference that is active in NCAA Division III in the New York City area.
The conference began operating on December 3, 1937, when most of the larger schools in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference left to form a new conference. [1] The seven charter members of the conference were: BYU, Colorado, Colorado A&M (now Colorado State), Denver, Utah, Utah State, and Wyoming. [1] At the time of formation, the formal name of Mountain States Athletic Conference was adopted, [2] although newspapers were already calling it the Big Seven at that time. [3] The conference became popularly known as the Skyline Conference or Skyline Six after Colorado left in 1947. [4] Colorado joined the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA), informally known as the Big Six Conference, which took over the Big Seven name and would later become the Big Eight Conference.
The conference became known as the Skyline Eight after New Mexico and Montana joined in 1951. [5] The conference officially dissolved as of July 1, 1962, after four of its members (BYU, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) departed to form the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). [6] Montana operated as an independent for one football season in 1962 until the formation of the Big Sky Conference in 1963. Colorado State became independent until it joined the WAC in 1968. Utah State operated as an independent for fifteen seasons, until it joined the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (later named the Big West Conference) in 1977.
The conference first had a full-time commissioner in 1949, appointing Dick Romney, who had led the Utah State Aggies football program since 1919. [7] He was succeeded in August 1960 by Paul Brechler, who had been athletic director at the University of Iowa. [8] [9] Brechler served as commissioner until the conference disbanded, and became the first commissioner of the WAC. [10]
Institution | Location | Founded | Type | Enrollment | Joined | Left | Nickname | Subsequent conference(s) | Current conference(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brigham Young University | Provo, Utah | 1875 | Private | 34,100 | 1937–38 | 1961–62 | Cougars | WAC (1962–63 to 1998–99) Mountain West (1999–2000 to 2010–11) WCC (2011–12 to 2012–23) | Big 12 (2023–24 to present) |
Colorado State University [lower-alpha 1] | Fort Collins, Colorado | 1870 | Public | 34,166 | 1937–38 | 1961–62 | Rams | FBS Independent (1962–63 to 1967–68) WAC (1968–69 to 1998–99) | Mountain West (1999–2000 to 2025–26) (Pac-12 in 2026–27) |
University of Denver [lower-alpha 2] | Denver, Colorado | 1864 | Private | 11,952 | 1937–38 | 1961–62 | Pioneers | various [lower-alpha 3] | Summit (2013–14 to present) |
University of Montana [lower-alpha 4] | Missoula, Montana | 1893 | Public | 10,104 | 1951–52 | 1961–62 | Grizzlies | FBS Independent (1962–63) | Big Sky (1963–64 to present) |
University of New Mexico [lower-alpha 5] | Albuquerque, New Mexico | 1889 | Public | 25,441 | 1951–52 | 1961–62 | Lobos | WAC (1962–63 to 1998–99) | Mountain West (1999–2000 to present) |
University of Utah | Salt Lake City, Utah | 1850 | Public | 33,000 | 1937–38 | 1961–62 | Utes | WAC (1962–63 to 1998–99) Mountain West (1999–2000 to 2010–11) Pac-12 (2011–12 to 2023–24) | Big 12 (2024–25 to present) |
Utah State University [lower-alpha 6] | Logan, Utah | 1888 | Public | 27,691 | 1937–38 | 1961–62 | Aggies | FBS Independent (1962–63 to 1977–78) Big West (1978–79 to 2004–05) WAC (2005–06 to 2012–13) | Mountain West (2013–14 to 2025–26) (Pac-12 in 2026–27) |
University of Wyoming | Laramie, Wyoming | 1886 | Public | 12,450 | 1937–38 | 1961–62 | Cowboys and Cowgirls | WAC (1962–63 to 1998–99) | Mountain West (1999–2000 to present) |
Institution | Location | Founded | Type | Enrollment | Joined | Left | Nickname | Subsequent conference(s) | Current conference(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Colorado | Boulder, Colorado | 1876 | Public | 33,246 | 1937–38 | 1946–47 | Buffaloes | Big 8 (1947–48 to 1995–96) Pac-12 (2011–12 to 2023–2024) | Big 12 (1996–97 to 2011–11) (2024–25 to present) |
The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, Texas, Utah and Washington.
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), commonly known as the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) from approximately 1910 through the late 1960s, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the western United States. Most member schools are in Colorado, with additional members in Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah.
Ernest Lowell "Dick" Romney was an American football, basketball and baseball player and coach, track athlete, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach and athletic director at the Agricultural College of Utah, now Utah State University, from 1918 to 1949, compiling a career college football record of 128–91–16. Romney was also the head basketball coach at Utah Agricultural from 1919 to 1941, tallying a college basketball mark of 224–158. He served as the commissioner of the Skyline Conference from 1949 to 1960. Romney was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1954 and was elected to the Helms Athletic Foundation and Hall of Fame as a football coach in 1958.
The 1971 Utah Redskins football team was an American football team that represented the University of Utah as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. In their fourth season under head coach Bill Meek, the Redskins compiled an overall record of 3–8 with a mark of 3–4 against conference opponents, placing in a three-way tie for fourth in the WAC. Home games were played on campus at Ute Stadium in Salt Lake City.
The Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an award given to the Western Athletic Conference's (WAC) most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1980–81 season. Keith Van Horn of Utah and Nick Fazekas of Nevada are the only players to have won the award three times. Three other players—Michael Cage, Josh Grant and Melvin Ely—have won the award twice. Danny Ainge, the first ever WAC Player of the Year, was also the John R. Wooden Award winner in 1980–81.
The 1965 Utah Redskins football team was an American football team that represented the University of Utah as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 1965 NCAA University Division football season. In their eighth and final season under head coach Ray Nagel, the Redskins compiled an overall record of 3–7 with a mark of 1–3 against conference opponents, placing fifth in the WAC. Home games were played on campus at Ute Stadium in Salt Lake City.
The 1961 Utah Redskins football team was an American football team that represented the University of Utah as a member of the Skyline Conference during the 1961 college football season. In their fourth season under head coach Ray Nagel, the Redskins compiled an overall record of 6–4 with a mark of 3–3 against conference opponents, tying for third place in the Skyline. Home games were played on campus at Ute Stadium in Salt Lake City.
The 1960 Utah Redskins football team was an American football team that represented the University of Utah as a member of the Skyline Conference during the 1960 college football season. In their third season under head coach Ray Nagel, the Redskins compiled an overall record of 7–3 with a mark of 5–1 against conference opponents, placing third in the Skyline. Home games were played on campus at Ute Stadium in Salt Lake City.
The 1959 Utah Redskins football team was an American football team that represented the University of Utah as a member of the Skyline Conference during the 1959 college football season. In their second season under head coach Ray Nagel, the Redskins compiled an overall record of 5–5 with a mark of 3–2 against conference opponents, placing fourth in the Skyline. Home games were played on campus at Ute Stadium in Salt Lake City.
The 1961 Montana Grizzlies football team represented the University of Montana in the 1961 college football season as a member of the Skyline Conference (Skyline). The Grizzlies were led by fourth-year head coach Ray Jenkins, played their home games at Dornblaser Field and finished the season with a record of two wins and six losses.
The 1962 Montana Grizzlies football team represented the University of Montana in the 1962 NCAA University Division football season. The independent Grizzlies were led by fifth-year head coach Ray Jenkins, played their home games at Dornblaser Field, and finished the season with a record of five wins and five losses (5–5).
The 2010–13 Western Athletic Conference realignment refers to the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) dealing with several proposed and actual conference expansion and reduction plans among various NCAA conferences and institutions from 2010 to 2013. Moves involving the WAC were a significant part of a much larger NCAA conference realignment in which it was one of the most impacted conferences. Of the nine members of the WAC in 2010, only two—the University of Idaho and New Mexico State University—remained in the conference beyond the 2012–13 school year, and Idaho departed for the Big Sky Conference after the 2013–14 school year. Five pre-2010 members are now all-sports members of the Mountain West Conference (MW), and another joined the MW for football only while placing most of its other sports in the Big West Conference. Another pre-2010 member joined Conference USA (C-USA) in July 2013.
The 1950 Wyoming Cowboys football team represented the University of Wyoming in the Skyline Conference during the 1950 college football season. In their fourth season under head coach Bowden Wyatt, the Cowboys compiled a perfect 10–0 record, won the Skyline Conference championship, ranked No. 12 in the final AP Poll, defeated Washington and Lee in the 1951 Gator Bowl, and outscored all opponents by a total of 363 to 59. The team ranked third in major college football in total defense, allowing an average of only 173.2 yards per game.
The 1910 Colorado Silver and Gold football team was an American football team that represented the University of Colorado as a member of the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) during the 1910 college football season. In its tenth year under head coach Fred Folsom, the team compiled a 6–0 record, shut out five of six opponents, won the conference championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 121 to 3.
The 1960 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University (BYU) as a member of the Skyline Conference during the 1960 college football season. In their second and final season under head coach Tally Stevens, the Cougars compiled an overall record of 3–8 record with a mark of 2–5 against conference opponents, tied for fifth place in the Skyline, and were outscored by all opponents by a combined total of 207 to 102.
The 1917 Utah Agricultural Aggies football team was an American football team that represented Utah Agricultural College in the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) during the 1917 college football season. In their second and final season under head coach Jack Watson, the Aggies compiled a 7–0–1 record, shut out four of eight opponents, and outscored all opponents by a total of 267 to 26. The team was regarded as the strongest squad fielded by the school to that time.
The 1925 Utah State Aggies football team was an American football team that represented Utah State Agricultural College in the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) during the 1925 college football season. In their seventh season under head coach Dick Romney, the Aggies compiled a 6–1 record, finished in a tie for second place in the RMC, and outscored all opponents by a total of 111 to 39.
The 1960 Colorado State Rams football team represented Colorado State University in the Skyline Conference during the 1960 college football season. In their fifth season under head coach Don Mullison, the Rams compiled a 2–8 record, finished last in the Skyline Conference, and were outscored by opponents by a total of 240 to 92.
The 1961 Colorado State Rams football team was an American football team that represented Colorado State University in the Skyline Conference during the 1961 college football season. In their sixth season under head coach Don "Tuffy" Mullison, the Rams compiled a 0–10 record, finished last in the Skyline Conference, and were outscored by a total of 249 to 74.
The 1930 Wyoming Cowboys football team was an American football team that represented the University of Wyoming as a member of the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) during the 1930 college football season. In their first season under head coach John Rhodes, the Cowboys compiled a 2–5–1 record, finished tenth in the RMC, and were outscored by a total of 161 to 86.