Skyline Conference (1938–1962)

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.

Skyline Conference
Formerly
  • Colloquially:
  • Big Seven
  • Skyline Six
  • Skyline Eight
AssociationNCAA
Founded1937 (1937)
Ceased1962 (1962)
Commissioner
DivisionUniversity Division
No. of teams
  • 7 (1937–1947)
  • 6 (1947–1951)
  • 8 (1951–1962)
RegionWestern United States
Locations
Location of teams in {{{title}}}

History

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]

Member schools

Final members
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 present)
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 in 2024–25)
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 present)
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)
Notes
  1. Formerly known as Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts until 1957.
  2. Denver dropped football after the 1960 fall season (1960–61 school year).
  3. Denver had joined the following subsequent conferences: as an NCAA D-I Independent from 1962–63 to 1978–79 and during the 1998–99 school year; as an NAIA Independent from 1979–80 to 1989–90; the Colorado Athletic Conference (CAC) of NCAA D-II from 1990–91 to 1995–96; NCAA D-II Independent from 1996–97 to 1997–98; the Sun Belt Conference from 1999–2000 to 2011–12; and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 2012–13 school year.
  4. Montana joined the Mountain States after a year of independent play during the 1950–51 school year following several decades of membership in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC).
  5. New Mexico joined the Mountain States from the Border Conference.
  6. Formerly known as Utah State Agricultural College until 1957.

Former members
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)
Big 12
(1996–97 to 2011–11)		 Pac-12
(2011–12 to 2023–2024)
(Big 12 in 2024–25)

    Membership timeline
    Big Sky ConferenceUniversity of MontanaPacific Coast ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceUniversity of New MexicoBorder ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceUniversity of WyomingWestern Athletic ConferenceUniversity of UtahWestern Athletic ConferenceBrigham Young UniversityWestern Athletic ConferenceColorado State UniversityUtah State UniversityUniversity of DenverBig Eight ConferenceBig Eight ConferenceUniversity of Colorado Boulder

    Football champions

    [11]

    See also

    References
    1. "Rocky Mountain Men are to Frame Skeds". Independent Record. Helena, Montana. December 3, 1937. p. 7. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
    2. Goodell, Bob (December 5, 1937). "New Circuit Christened Mountain Stats Athletic Conference". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. 37. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
    3. Goodell, Bob (December 5, 1937). "Football Schedules Drawn At Denver Meeting". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. 38. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
    4. Moler, Murray (May 25, 1947). "'Skyline Six' (ex-Big Seven) Conference Will Send Champs Into California Raisin Bowl". Nevada State Journal. UP. p. 5. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
    5. "Montana Accepted As Member of Skyline Eight". Independent Record. Helena, Montana. AP. June 11, 1950. p. 12. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
    6. "New League Is Established". Daily Inter Lake. Kalispell, Montana. AP. October 12, 1962. p. 6. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
    7. McCulloch, Ollie (January 28, 1949). "Dick Romney Accepts Skyline Six Commissioner Position". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. 22. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
    8. "Brechler Quits Iowa Post, Becomes Skyline Chief". The Salt Lake Tribune. AP. February 25, 1960. p. 21. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
    9. Mooney, John (August 23, 1960). "Dick Romney Ends Half Century of Athletic Service". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. 16. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
    10. "Brechler Explains 'Circuit'". Standard-Examiner. Ogden, Utah. AP. January 11, 1962. p. 24. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
    11. "Conference Championships – Mountain States Athletic Conference". cfbdatawarehouse.com. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
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