Back to ListingBig Sky Conference leadership prioritizes identity, excellence amidst shifting collegiate landscape
In presentation to the board of regents, Big Sky commissioner charts confident course with Northern ϲͼ University leading the way
Big Sky Conference Commissioner Tom Wistrcill addressed the rapidly changing collegiate sports landscape with confidence and insight during a presentation to the board on Thursday. The conference, which features Northern ϲͼ University as a longtime member, has benefited from Wistrcill's strategic planning to navigate the shifting trends.
Wistrcill focused on the Big Sky's identity and future vision: competing at the NCAA Division I level with fiscal responsibility, graduating student-athletes and promoting institutional excellence. The conference has built its renewed brand on an “#ExperienceElevated” platform that serves 149 teams, 15 sports and around 3,300 student-athletes each year. The mantra highlights the aspirational nature of the Big Sky, and the league’s commitment to the growth, development and excellence of those it serves.
"We know who we are and are not trying to be something we will never be,” Wistrcill said.
The Big Sky Conference, founded in 1963, boasts 10 full-time member schools and two affiliates across eight states, earning the reputation as "The SEC of the FCS." This designation and the student-athlete talent it attracts empowers NAU and fellow members to vie for regular national championships. Big Sky members have won 13 NCAA championships, including six of the last eight Division I men’s cross country titles won by NAU.
“The ϲͼ Board of Regents applauds commissioner Wistrcill's commitment to student-athlete development, fiscal responsibility and institutional excellence, elevating NAU and Big Sky Conference's national reputation,” said Board Chair Cecilia Mata. “Under the commissioner’s guidance, the Big Sky continues to strategically adapt to the evolving collegiate sports landscape, positioning the Lumberjacks for continued success."
Wistrcill, a seasoned athletic administrator and media executive, joined the Big Sky in fall 2018. He previously served as senior vice president at Learfield Sports, athletic director at the University of Akron, and in athletic administrator roles at the University of Wisconsin and University of Minnesota. He also serves on the NCAA Division I men’s basketball competition and tournament committees. Wistrcill is a former NCAA Division III student-athlete. He played college basketball at Saint Mary’s (Minnesota) and his son Jack is a redshirt sophomore on the NAU men’s basketball team.
Since taking over as commissioner, Wistrcill’s initiatives have been focused on student-athlete programming and advocacy, competitive success, revenue generation, media exposure and brand development. He visits personally with student-athletes and has prioritized forums in which athletes can directly provide feedback and ask questions of the conference’s leadership.
The Lumberjacks have been a Big Sky member since 1970 and a dominant presence in each of the 15 Division I sponsored sports. Over the past six years, NAU won 12 conference championships in 14 different sports, including multiple Big Sky men’s and women’s All-Sports Trophy honors. The university has also been awarded five prestigious Presidents' Cup, the annual award given to the school that best excels academically and athletically. This success fosters national visibility and competition, bolstering the university's reputation as one of ϲͼ’s standout public institutions.
The Big Sky is one of 10 automatic qualifying Football Championship Subdivision conferences with substantial media exposure. In 2021, the conference announced a landmark media rights deal with ESPN, the largest ever for an FCS conference. The deal secures regular national television broadcasts, significant social media engagement and notable sports betting influence.
“Northern ϲͼ University's remarkable success within the Big Sky Conference – numerous conference championships, six national championships and five Presidents' Cups – underscores our unwavering commitment to athletic and academic excellence,” said NAU President José Luis Cruz Rivera. “Commissioner Wistrcill's dedication to student-athlete growth, well-being and achievement aligns with NAU's values, empowering our Lumberjacks to excel on and off the field.”