Presidential communication

Letter from the President

Office of the President, president@uidaho.edu | Sept. 18, 2026

Q and A with Big Sky Conference Commissioner Tom Wistrcill

Tom Wistrcill took the reins as commissioner of the Big Sky Conference in 2018, the same year the University of Idaho football program returned to its longtime conference home. Over the past eight years, he’s helped the Big Sky navigate a tumultuous time in college athletics while building on the conference’s legacy of excellence. As chair of the Big Sky President’s Council, I’ve enjoyed working closely with Tom. In this interview, we discuss his history with athletics, his role in leading the conference and the changing landscape in the Big Sky.

SG: You played basketball at St. Mary’s College in Minnesota and were a four-year starter. What kind of player were you, and how did your experience impact your life?

TW: I was a point guard, kind of a coach on the floor. I loved my time at St. Mary’s and I had a good career. I am the son of two coaches — my mom coached volleyball and track and my dad coached football. Playing sports, I learned a lot of lessons about teamwork, fighting through adversity, finding a way to work together and dealing with failure and success. Those lessons are so important in life and that’s what I hope our student-athletes in the Big Sky value. They’re learning lifelong skills while getting an education. They really get the true college athletics experience. It’s not the same way at P4 institutions.

SG: In professional leagues like the NFL and the NBA, the commissioner works for the owners. How does it work as a college conference commissioner?

TW: I report directly to our president’s council, made up of three Big Sky Conference university presidents. We have a chair that is elected and decisions are ultimately made by the presidents of the conference.

SG: What have you and the President’s Council spent the most time on over the past year?

TW: We knew Sacramento State was leaving the conference after last year, so we took a holistic look at adding teams and what that would look like. We ultimately added Utah Tech and Southern Utah. That is a big undertaking when it comes to scheduling, financial considerations, facilities and the terms of membership — there is a lot that goes into bringing in new members.

We’ve also been involved in the Protect College Sports Act. As a conference, we’re in eight states and we’ve taken a very directed approach with our representatives, telling them we need their votes. We believe this will dramatically help our Big Sky institutions.

SG: As we see larger schools in the west competing in cross-country conferences, how important is the Big Sky’s regionality to its success?

TW: Our identity is really important and we want to be the dominant Football Championship Subdivision conference in the country. We’re the only one out West and it’s part of our stability. We know who we are and we’re very comfortable with where we are. Geography plays a big role in that.

SG: Vandal fans had a lot of fun at the Big Sky basketball tournaments, or Starch Madness, last spring. How has Boise worked out as a neutral site for Big Sky basketball?

TW: Boise’s been a wonderful home. We just signed a new five-year contract this year for the tournament to stay in Boise. The arena is perfect because of its location downtown. We’re right next to great hotels and restaurants. It’s a great city and it’s worked out really well for us.

SG: Speaking of Starch Madness, the Big Sky seems to do a great job with branding. Why is that important for the conference?

TW: When I got here in 2018, we weren’t doing a great job embracing who we are, telling our story. We’ve got great history and tradition. We should be loud and proud. We’ve also been able to walk the walk with our teams winning at the highest levels. We’ve done a great job among our schools of promoting our coaches, our student-athletes and our schools. It’s elevated the conference and elevated our schools. College athletics builds tremendous school spirit. Our universities are points of pride for alumni and fans. It’s all about tying that together. People who went to the U of I love the school, love their time on campus. If we can be a conduit for that, then we’ve done a good job.

We’re grateful for Tom’s bold leadership and vision for the Big Sky Conference. His outside-the-box thinking and unlimited energy make him an excellent commissioner and we are lucky to have him as an advocate for our student-athletes.

Go Vandals!

C. Scott Green
President

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