Big Sky Conference renews Boise for ‘Starch Madness’ basketball tournaments through 2031
-
- In this March 2021 photo, a rack of basketballs sits on the court of Idaho Central Arena during the Big Sky basketball championships in Boise, Idaho.
“Starch Madness” will live on, at least through 2031, in a new agreement the Big Sky Conference announced Tuesday.
The Big Sky and its partners in Boise, Idaho, have renewed their agreement to host the league’s men’s and women’s basketball championship tournaments through the 2030-31 season, adding five more years to the arrangement’s latest timeframe set to expire at the end of the upcoming school year.
After school presidents and athletic directors voted to create neutral-site conference basketball tournaments, the Big Sky staged its postseason playoffs in Reno, Nevada, from 2016-18. The championships then moved to Boise’s Idaho Central Arena for the 2019 tournaments. The new agreement will run the partnership to 13 years by the time the 2031 events are played.
“Boise has proven to be the perfect home for Starch Madness,” Big Sky commissioner Tom Wistrcill said in a news release. “Boise provides our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and fans with a first-class postseason experience, which is largely thanks to our many outstanding partners throughout the city and across the state.
“On behalf of our membership, I am grateful for the way Boise has fully embraced Starch Madness, and all of us with the Big Sky are thrilled to extend this relationship for many more years to come.”
The Big Sky is the only western league not hosting its conference basketball tournaments in Las Vegas. It reports new attendance records for the tournament in both 2024 and 2025.
“The City of Boise is excited to continue our partnership with Big Sky Conference to host Starch Madness,” Boise Mayor Lauren McLean said. “For the next six years, we will continue to welcome the athletes, fans, and events that bring vibrancy to our community.”
The tournaments for the 2025-26 season are set for March 7-11, 2026. All 20 Big Sky teams (10 men’s, 10 women’s) take the floor to play 18 games over five days, crowning two champions who claim the league’s automatic berths to the NCAA Tournament.
ESPN CREATES FCS SHOWCASE
Two Big Sky teams were selected for a new, premier showcase ESPN has created for FCS football, pairing four of the subdivision’s top teams in two made-for-TV games.
The “Vegas Kickoff” will pit Montana State against North Dakota State in 2027 and Montana against South Dakota State in 2029. Set for Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, both games will be played on Labor Day weekend in those seasons. Exact dates and times will be determined later.
The last four FCS national championship games have featured at least one of the four teams.
“Labor Day, Las Vegas, college football — it’s the perfect trifecta to celebrate the start of the season,” ESPN vice president Clint Overby said in a news release. “Las Vegas continues to attract high-caliber events and ESPN is proud to work with these great programs and our local partners to kick off the upcoming seasons.”
