Big Sky Conference Cancels Remainder of 2020 Championships

The Big Sky Conference is canceling the remainder of the 2020 Basketball Championships due to concerns about the coronavirus (COVID-19). The men’s quarterfinals games were scheduled to begin Thursday in downtown Boise. The Big Sky Presidents' Council convened on Thursday morning and voted to cancel the tournament.

“This decision was not made lightly, as we know how meaningful our basketball championships is to our student-athletes, coaches, alumni, and fans,” Big Sky commissioner Tom Wistrcill said in a press release. “After consulting with medical experts, local authorities, and the leadership of our institutions, we feel that this decision is prudent given the health and well-being of all involved.

“We would be remiss not to acknowledge all of our local partners who helped us increase the interest in and attendance at our tournament this year, and we look forward to welcoming those fans back when we return to Boise in March 2021.”

Idaho State University's men's team was set to play against the University of Montana on Thursday.

Because no Big Sky tournament champions will be crowned and no automatic NCAA Tournament berths awarded, the conference will send its two highest-remaining tournament seeds -- No. 1 Eastern Washington for the men and No. 1 Montana State for the women -- to the NCAA Tournament, should it go on as scheduled.