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Ten Big Sky teams descend on Boise this week with one clear prize: a conference title and an automatic NCAA tournament berth. Fans can expect tight defense, high stakes, and an electric Idaho Central Arena as squads chase March glory.
Big Sky 2026: stakes, venue and key dates
The tournament runs March 7–11 at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho. The winner earns the conference crown and the league’s automatic NCAA berth. Idaho captured the regular-season crown, while Montana State returns as last season’s tournament winner.
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Teams, seeds and final conference records
The bracket has been set. Below are the seeds and each team’s conference record entering the tournament.
- No. 1 — Idaho (26-5 overall, 17-1 Big Sky)
- No. 2 — Montana State (23-6, 16-2)
- No. 3 — Northern Colorado (22-9, 13-5)
- No. 4 — Idaho State (19-10, 12-6)
- No. 5 — Sacramento State (14-17, 8-10)
- No. 6 — Eastern Washington (14-17, 7-11)
- No. 7 — Northern Arizona (10-21, 6-12)
- No. 8 — Montana (8-21, 5-13)
- No. 9 — Weber State (10-21, 4-14)
- No. 10 — Portland State (6-24, 2-16)
Where to watch: TV and streaming details
Most tournament games stream live, with the title game receiving national linear coverage. Use the following options to follow every matchup.
- Championship TV: ESPNU
- Live streaming: ESPN+ and the ESPN app
- All games: Available via the ESPN app; the final also airs on ESPNU
Full game schedule by day (times in ET)
Saturday, March 7 — First round
- 2:00 p.m. — Weber State (No. 9) vs. Portland State (No. 10) — ESPN+
- 4:30 p.m. — Northern Arizona (No. 7) vs. Montana (No. 8) — ESPN+
Sunday, March 8 — Second round
- 2:00 p.m. — No. 1 Idaho vs. winner of 9/10 — ESPN+
- 4:30 p.m. — No. 2 Montana State vs. winner of 7/8 — ESPN+
Monday, March 9 — Quarterfinals
- 2:00 p.m. — No. 4 Idaho State vs. No. 5 Sacramento State — ESPN+
- 4:30 p.m. — No. 3 Northern Colorado vs. No. 6 Eastern Washington — ESPN+
Tuesday, March 10 — Semifinal round
- 2:00 p.m. — Winner (Idaho side) vs. winner (Idaho State/Sacramento State) — ESPN+
- 4:30 p.m. — Winner (Montana State side) vs. winner (Northern Colorado/Eastern Washington) — ESPN+
Wednesday, March 11 — Championship game
- 5:00 p.m. — Semifinal winners meet for the Big Sky title — ESPNU and the ESPN app
