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Skyline Conference (1938–1962)

{{short description|Former college athletic conference in the Western United States}}

{{Infobox sports league

| name = Skyline Conference

| founded = {{start date and age|1937}}

| dissolved = {{end date and age|1962}}

| association = NCAA

| division = University Division

| teams = {{unbulleted list|7 (1937–1947)|6 (1947–1951)|8 (1951–1962)}}

| region = Western United States

| formerly = {{unbulleted list|Colloquially:|Big Seven|Skyline Six|Skyline Eight}}

| commissioner = {{unbulleted list|Dick Romney (1949–1960)|Paul Brechler (1960–1962)}}

| map = Mountain States Conference-USA-states.png

| map_size = 250

}}

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.

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. The seven charter members of the conference were: BYU, Colorado, Colorado A&M (now Colorado State), Denver, Utah, Utah State, and Wyoming.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41755389/rocky_mountain_men_are_to_frame_skeds/ |title=Rocky Mountain Men are to Frame Skeds |newspaper=Independent Record |location=Helena, Montana |page=7 |date=December 3, 1937 |access-date=January 5, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} At the time of formation, the formal name of Mountain States Athletic Conference was adopted,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41755803/new_circuit_christened_mountain_stats/ |title=New Circuit Christened Mountain Stats Athletic Conference |first=Bob |last=Goodell |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |page=37 |date=December 5, 1937 |access-date=January 5, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} although newspapers were already calling it the Big Seven at that time.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41758644/football_schedules_drawn_at_denver/ |title=Football Schedules Drawn At Denver Meeting |first=Bob |last=Goodell |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |page=38 |date=December 5, 1937 |access-date=January 5, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} The conference became popularly known as the Skyline Conference or Skyline Six after Colorado left in 1947.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41759026/skyline_six_exbig_seven_conference/ |title='Skyline Six' (ex-Big Seven) Conference Will Send Champs Into California Raisin Bowl |first=Murray |last=Moler |agency=UP |newspaper=Nevada State Journal |page=5 |date=May 25, 1947 |access-date=January 5, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41759840/montana_accepted_as_member_of_skyline/ |title=Montana Accepted As Member of Skyline Eight |agency=AP |newspaper=Independent Record |location=Helena, Montana |page=12 |date=June 11, 1950 |access-date=January 5, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} 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).{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41760295/new_league_is_established/ |title=New League Is Established |agency=AP |newspaper=Daily Inter Lake |location=Kalispell, Montana |page=6 |date=October 12, 1962 |access-date=January 5, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41764398/dick_romney_accepts_skyline_six/ |title=Dick Romney Accepts Skyline Six Commissioner Position |first=Ollie |last=McCulloch |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |page=22 |date=January 28, 1949 |access-date=January 5, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} He was succeeded in August 1960 by Paul Brechler, who had been athletic director at the University of Iowa.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41765076/brechler_quits_iowa_post_becomes/ |title=Brechler Quits Iowa Post, Becomes Skyline Chief |agency=AP |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |page=21 |date=February 25, 1960 |access-date=January 5, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41765819/dick_romney_ends_half_century_of/ |title=Dick Romney Ends Half Century of Athletic Service |first=John |last=Mooney |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |page=16 |date=August 23, 1960 |access-date=January 5, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} Brechler served as commissioner until the conference disbanded, and became the first commissioner of the WAC.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41766203/brechler_explains_circuit/ |title=Brechler Explains 'Circuit' |agency=AP |newspaper=Standard-Examiner |location=Ogden, Utah |page=24 |date=January 11, 1962 |access-date=January 5, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}

Member schools

=Final members=

class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

!Institution

!Location

!Founded

!Type

!Enrollment

!Joined

!Left

!Nickname

!Subsequent
conference(s)

!Current
conference(s)

{{sort|BYU|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{{efn|group=final|Formerly known as Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts until 1957.}}

| 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)
{{small|(Pac-12 in 2026–27)}}

{{sort|Denver|University of Denver}}{{efn|group=final|Denver dropped football after the 1960 fall season (1960–61 school year).}}

| Denver, Colorado

| 1864

| Private

| 11,952

| 1937–38

| 1961–62

| Pioneers

| various{{efn|group=final|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.}}

| Summit
(2013–14 to present)

{{sort|Montana|University of Montana}}{{efn|group=final|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).}}

| Missoula, Montana

| 1893

| Public

| 10,104

| 1951–52

| 1961–62

| Grizzlies

| FBS Independent
(1962–63)

| Big Sky
(1963–64 to present)

{{sort|New Mexico|University of New Mexico}}{{efn|group=final|New Mexico joined the Mountain States from the Border Conference.}}

| Albuquerque, New Mexico

| 1889

| Public

| 25,441

| 1951–52

| 1961–62

| Lobos

| WAC
(1962–63 to 1998–99)

| Mountain West
(1999–2000 to present)

{{sort|Utah|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{{efn|group=final|Formerly known as Utah State Agricultural College until 1957.}}

| 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)
{{small|(Pac-12 in 2026–27)}}

{{sort|Wyoming|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:

{{notelist|group=final}}

=Former members=

class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

!Institution

!Location

!Founded

!Type

!Enrollment

!Joined

!Left

!Nickname

!Subsequent
conference(s)

!Current
conference(s)

{{sort|Colorado|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 2010–11, 2024–25 to present)

{{notelist|group=former}}

=Membership timeline=

DateFormat = yyyy

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20

Period = from:1937 till:2030

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

PlotArea = right:30 left:0 bottom:50 top:5

Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)

id:line value:black

id:bg value:white

id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852)

id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699)

id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383)

id:OtherC3 value:rgb(0.888,0.803,0.483)

id:WAC value:rgb(0.999,0.500,0.500)

id:Ind value:rgb(0.83,0.83,0.83)

PlotData=

width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1 color:Full from:1937 till:1947 text:Colorado (1937–1947)

bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:1947 till:1964 text: Big Seven

bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:1964 till:1994 text:Big Eight

bar:1 color:OtherC3 from:1994 till:2011 text:Big 12

bar:1 color:OtherC2 from:2011 till:2024 text:Pac-12

bar:1 color:OtherC3 from:2024 till:end text:Big 12

bar:2 color:Full from:1937 till:1962 text:Denver (1937–1962)

bar:2 color:Ind from:1962 till:1976 text:Independent

bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1999 text:Division II/NAIA

bar:2 color:OtherC2 from:1999 till:2012 text:Sun Belt

bar:2 color:WAC from:2012 till:2013 text:WAC

bar:2 color:OtherC3 from:2013 till:end text: Summit

bar:3 color:Full from:1937 till:1962 text:Utah State (1937–1962)

bar:3 color:Ind from:1962 till:1978 text:Independent

bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1988 text:PCAA

bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:1988 till:2005 text:Big West

bar:3 color:WAC from:2005 till:2013 text:WAC

bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:2026 text:Mountain West

bar:3 color:OtherC2 from:2026 till:end text:Pac-12

bar:4 color:Full from:1937 till:1962 text:Colorado State (1937–1962)

bar:4 color:Ind from:1962 till:1968 text:Independent

bar:4 color:WAC from:1968 till:1999 text: WAC

bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1999 till:2026 text:Mountain West

bar:4 color:OtherC2 from:2026 till:end text:Pac-12

bar:5 color:Full from:1937 till:1962 text:BYU (1937–1962)

bar:5 color:WAC from:1962 till:1999 text:WAC

bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:1999 till:2011 text:Mountain West

bar:5 color:OtherC2 from:2011 till:2023 text:WCC

bar:5 color:OtherC3 from:2023 till:end text:Big 12

bar:6 color:Full from:1937 till:1962 text:Utah (1937–1962)

bar:6 color:WAC from:1962 till:end text:WAC

bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:1999 till:2011 text:Mountain West

bar:6 color:OtherC2 from:2011 till:2024 text:Pac-12

bar:6 color:OtherC3 from:2024 till:end text:Big 12

bar:7 color:Full from:1937 till:1962 text:Wyoming (1938–1962)

bar:7 color:WAC from:1962 till:end text:WAC

bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:1999 till:end text:Mountain West

bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:1937 till:1951 text:Border

bar:8 color:Full from:1951 till:1962 text:New Mexico (1951–1962)

bar:8 color:WAC from:1962 till:1999 text: WAC

bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:1999 till:end text:Mountain West

bar:9 color:OtherC2 from:1937 till:1950 text:Pacific Coast

bar:9 color:Ind from:1950 till:1951 text:

bar:9 color:Full from:1951 till:1962 text:Montana (1951–1962)

bar:9 color:Ind from:1962 till:1963 text:

bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1963 till:end text:Big Sky

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1940

TextData =

fontsize:L

textcolor:black

pos:(300,30) # tabs:(0-center)

text:"Skyline Conference membership history"

Football champions

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

{{div col end}}

{{cite web |url=https://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/conference_champs/champions.php?conid=129 |title=Conference Championships – Mountain States Athletic Conference |website=cfbdatawarehouse.com |access-date=January 5, 2020}}

Basketball champions

{{div col|colwidth=17em}}

  • 1911: Colorado School of Mines
  • 1912: Colorado School of Mines
  • 1913: Colorado
  • 1914: Colorado
  • 1915: Denver
  • 1916: Colorado, Colorado College
  • 1917: Colorado College
  • 1918: Colorado
  • 1919: Colorado
  • 1920: Colorado
  • 1921: Colorado
  • 1922: Colorado College
  • 1923: Colorado College
  • 1924: Colorado College (Colorado)
  • 1925: Colorado College (Eastern), BYU (Western)
  • 1926: Colorado State (Eastern), Northern Colorado (Eastern), Utah (Western), Utah State (Western)
  • 1927: Colorado College (Eastern), Montana State (Western)
  • 1928: Wyoming (Eastern), Montana State (Western)
  • 1929: Colorado (Eastern), Montana State (Western)
  • 1930: Colorado (Eastern), Montana State (Western), Utah State (Western)
  • 1931: Wyoming (Eastern), Utah (Western)
  • 1932: Wyoming (Eastern), BYU (Western), Utah (Western)
  • 1933: Colorado State (Eastern), Wyoming (Eastern), BYU (Western), Utah (Western)
  • 1934: Wyoming (Eastern), BYU (Western)
  • 1935: Northern Colorado (Eastern), Utah State (Western)
  • 1936: Wyoming (Eastern), Utah State (Western)
  • 1937: Colorado (Eastern), Denver (Eastern), Montana State (Western), Utah (Western)
  • 1938: Colorado, Utah
  • 1939: Colorado
  • 1940: Colorado
  • 1941: Wyoming
  • 1942: Colorado
  • 1943: Wyoming
  • 1945: Utah
  • 1946: Wyoming
  • 1947: Wyoming
  • 1948: BYU
  • 1949: Wyoming
  • 1950: BYU
  • 1951: BYU
  • 1952: Wyoming
  • 1953: Wyoming
  • 1954: Colorado State
  • 1955: Utah
  • 1956: Utah
  • 1957: BYU
  • 1958: Wyoming
  • 1959: Utah
  • 1960: Utah
  • 1961: Colorado State, Utah
  • 1962: Utah

{{div col end}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/skyline/men/ |title=Men's Skyline Conference |website=sports-reference.com |access-date=March 5, 2025}}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{cite archive |first= Mountain States Athletic Conference |date = 1937-1962 |collection = Mountain States Athletic Conference Records |collection-url = http://archives.lib.byu.edu/repositories/14/resources/1564 |repository = L. Tom Perry Special Collections |institution = Brigham Young University |location = Provo, Utah}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skyline Conference (1938-1962)}}

Category:Sports in the Western United States

Category:1938 establishments in the United States

Category:1962 disestablishments in the United States