Big Sky to take a look at No. Colorado

SALT LAKE CITY – The Big Sky Conference on Monday decided to take a closer look at Northern Colorado for possible membership.

Three other institutions publicly expressed interest in the conference – North Dakota State, South Dakota State and Southern Utah.

But commissioner Doug Fullerton said the President’s Council was committed to building a consensus, which wasn’t there for the other three.

Travel issues for member schools, especially those in California and Oregon, to North Dakota and South Dakota likely doomed them from further consideration, Fullerton said.

He said he didn’t know why Southern Utah couldn’t build consensus.

“Every institution had support from the presidents, but the Big Sky Conference presidents were committed to building a consensus in this process,” Fullerton said. “The University of Northern Colorado is where they reached a consensus.”

After officials visit Northern Colorado, a member of the Great West Conference, a formal invitation could come this spring, or not at all. If Northern Colorado is invited to join, it likely would begin participation in 2006.