Yes, it’s “Starch Madness” time in Idaho.
The Big Sky Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships have taken on this nickname in homage to the region’s potato farms, and with a tip off coming in Boise to decide who goes to the “big dance” to participate in March Madness, the conference has reached a fresh five-year deal with Scripps Sports.
This extends a relationship that began with collegiate football in fall 2022 through “at least” the 2029-30 academic year, The E.W. Scripps Co. says.
“The Big Sky is grateful for what has been, and surely will continue to be, a wonderful partnership with Scripps Sports,” Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said. “Over the last three years, each entity has grown, both collectively and individually, accentuating the brand of our league and member institutions — and thus elevating the viewing experience. Scripps Sports’ wide reach across our territory and top-quality production makes our games more available and enjoyable than ever before for Big Sky fans, and we look forward to an even brighter and more visible future together.”
Scripps Sports currently airs Big Sky games on 18 Scripps-owned stations in all eight states of the league’s footprint, with six markets in Montana, three in Idaho, two in Arizona, two in California, two in Colorado, and one each in Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
“We’re thrilled to continue to bring Big Sky Sports to the loyal and passionate fans in this part of the country for the foreseeable future,” said Brian Lawlor, President of Scripps Sports and the former head of the company’s local media properties.
Following ESPN’s selections, Scripps will have the right to broadcast annually at least 12 conference football games featuring Montana and Montana State, with each team playing at least one conference game per season in primetime. These broadcasts will include linear coverage in their opponents’ home market.
Scripps will continue to have the exclusive linear rights to air the annual “Brawl of the Wild” between the Griz and Bobcats statewide in Montana.
Also included in the contract, Scripps will have the right to select, after ESPN, as many as eight women’s or men’s basketball games involving Montana or Montana State for broadcast, as well as the four “Brawl of the Wild” games between their men’s and women’s basketball squads. Additional conference football and men’s and women’s basketball games, as well as other sports, may be added by mutual agreement between the Big Sky Conference and Scripps.
The Big Sky Conference will retain rights to digitally distribute and stream programming via the ESPN+ app both within and outside the league’s footprint, and these broadcasts on Scripps will not be subject to any blackout restrictions.
The Big Sky’s extension with Scripps comes on the heels of a similar announcement in January with its ESPN relationship through 2029-30.
