Big Sky Conference

Big Sky Conference


EASTERN WASHINGTON	IDAHO STATE	MONTANA
"Eagles"	"Bengals"	"Grizzlies"
Cheney, WA	Pocatello, ID	Missoula, MT


MONTANA STATE	NORTHERN ARIZONA	NORTHERN COLORADO
"Bobcats"	"Lumberjacks"	"Bears"
Bozeman, MT	Flagstaff, AZ	Greeley, CO


PORTLAND STATE	SACRAMENTO STATE	WEBER STATE
"Vikings"	"Hornets"	"Wildcats"
Portland, OR	Sacramento, CA	Ogden, UT

Comments

Idaho State made a slight helmet design change for 2009 (stripes were not used on the helmet).

Historical Helmets

EASTERN WASHINGTON


c.early 1990s	? - 1999	2000 -

These are the only historical helmet designs for EWU about which I have received any information so far. The team has existed for many decades and probably has a large number of other historical helmet designs. The team nickname was changed from "Savages" to "Eagles" in 1973.

IDAHO STATE


1960	1961	1962


1963	1964 - 1965	1965
		*see note 1 below


1966 - 1967	1968	1969


1970 - 1976	1977 - 1982	1983 - 1986


1987 - 1990	1991	1992 - 1996


1997	1998	1999


2000	2001 - 2006	2007


2008	2009 -

This is believed to be a complete set of historical helmets for Idaho State for the period covered by this web site (1960 to present).

*1 Numerals were added to the helmets for just the last two games of the 1965 season.

MONTANA


1980 - 1982	1983 - c.1985	c.1986 - 1987
*see note 1 below


1988 - 1995; November 22, 2008	1996 -
*see note 2 below

The University of Montana's official colors have for many years been silver, copper, and gold (in recognition of the state's mining industry), but a set of "spirit colors" which are used by the school's athletic teams was adopted in about 1996; these colors are maroon, silver, and gold. The unusual colors used on the older helmets make it essential that I get some color photographs before I can add any of these earlier helmets to the site.

I have received partial information about some of the earlier helmet designs:

1977 - 1979: the helmets were a plain, light solid color with no stripes or decals;

1970 - 1976: the interesting design shown in the photograph below was used; the bear decal and two stripes appear to be silver. I would be reluctant to make a guess about the helmet shell color from this single photograph; it looks more orange than anything, but I think it is more likely that the actual color is a rather dark yellowish-orange somewhat like what Arizona State has used for many years, or perhaps even a copper color. I would appreciate some other pictures from these years, and a copy of the bear logo used on this design;

1969: some version of the "100" decal was used.

1962: players' uniform numerals were worn on the helmets.

*1 Apparently during these years the bear logo was worn only on the left sides of the helmets; the "UM" logo shown on the next design was worn on the right sides. I think the small text beneath the bear may have read "MONTANA" rather than "GRIZZLIES" during at least one season.

*2 This design was brought back for use during the 2008 home game against Montana State.

MONTANA STATE


? - 1961	1962 - 1968; 1970; 1976 - 1981?	1982 - 1983


1984 - 1990	1991 - 1996; September 23, 2006	1997 - 1999


2000 -

From 1971 through 1975, the design shown in the photograph below was used. The helmet shells were gold, and the demonic-looking "bobcat head" decal worn on the sides of the helmets was blue, white, and red, with a yellow outline around it. I would greatly appreciate a copy of this logo from someone.

NORTHERN ARIZONA


? - 1998	1999 - 2004	2005 -

The only other NAU historical helmet design that I know anything about dates from the early 1980s; it featured a blue helmet shell with the letters "NAU" in yellow or gold on the sides; the letters were connected to each other.

As with most of the Big Sky Conference schools, NAU has had a football team for many decades, but I have received no information whatsoever for this team from the 1960s or 1970s. Additional information would be greatly appreciated.

NORTHERN COLORADO


? - 2001	2002 - 2005	2006 - 2007


2008 -

This is another decades-old team for which I have received no historical helmet information. UNC moved from Division II to Division I-AA in 2003, and joined the Big Sky Conference in 2006.

PORTLAND STATE


c.1970	? - c.1998	c.1999 - 2001


2002 - 2006	2007 -

Portland State also used a logo that was similar to the Minnesota Vikings' "viking head" logo at one time (perhaps late 1980s or early 1990s); this was apparently worn on white helmet shells, and may have been multi-colored (I think the logo included both green and light blue parts). Clear photographs of this or any other historical design would be appreciated.

In 1980 the team was using white helmets with (presumably) green uniform numerals on the sides.

SACRAMENTO STATE


? - 2001	2002	2003


2004	2005 - 2006	2007 -

I have not received much information about helmet designs used by Sacramento State before the 1990s, but I have been told that the "SAC" design was in use as early as the late 1960s. The team also apparently used yellow helmets during at least some years in the 1970s.

Photographs from the 1969 season suggest that the team was using yellow helmets with a green "S" on the sides, probably a green-white-green sequence of stripes, and a version of the "100" decal worn at the back of the helmet.

WEBER STATE


c.1980s - 1996?	1997	1998 - 2000


2001 - 2005	2006 -