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Southern Utah, Utah Tech moving to Big Sky Conference in 2026

Southern Utah, Utah Tech moving to Big Sky Conference in 2026

Yahoo25-06-2025
FARMINGTON, Utah (AP) — Southern Utah and Utah Tech will join the Big Sky Conference as full members starting with the 2026-27 academic year.
The additions announced Wednesday will give the conference 11 full members following Sacramento State's departure for the Big West in all sports except football.
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'The time is right for the Big Sky to bring in Utah Tech and to bring back Southern Utah,' Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said in a statement. 'The addition of rising rival athletic departments from these two universities, located squarely within our geographic footprint in the western United States, reinforce the long-term stability and success of our league. "
The losses of Southern Utah and Utah Tech leaves the Western Athletic Conference with five members following the departures of Seattle, Grand Canyon and Utah Valley. Both schools will remains in the WAC until moving to the Big Sky.
The Big Sky also has two football affiliate members, Cal Poly and UC Davis, along with men's golf affiliate Francis Marion, which joins the league on July 1.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
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Ex Arsenal man sold and immediately loaned back to former club
Ex Arsenal man sold and immediately loaned back to former club

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Ex Arsenal man sold and immediately loaned back to former club

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Byron Buxton doubles down on desire to stay with Twins after deadline
Byron Buxton doubles down on desire to stay with Twins after deadline

New York Times

time3 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Byron Buxton doubles down on desire to stay with Twins after deadline

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Is this Bengals defense actually… good? Four things we learned in Week 2 of Bengals training camp
Is this Bengals defense actually… good? Four things we learned in Week 2 of Bengals training camp

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Is this Bengals defense actually… good? Four things we learned in Week 2 of Bengals training camp

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If the Bengals had to play Cleveland this Sunday without Mims, they couldn't tell you who would hold down the starting spot. Meanwhile, the Bengals' defensive line consistently produced disruptive reps, and they are a group lacking historically potent pass rushers in their own right. Every summer, there are personnel departments across the NFL concerned about the depth of their offensive line. In many ways, that's the constant nature of the league. The Bengals just feel notably weak and inexperienced. When the rest of the offense is so stacked with talent, and the history of the performance in front of Burrow being what it is, that's hard to look past right now. So, it's no wonder new offensive line coach Scott Peters' main thrust in growing Mims' game has been developing his mentality of understanding how dominant he can be, and how much he can play through while staying that way. Mims battled injuries at Georgia and again in his first season in Cincinnati. 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Noah Fant signed a one-year deal with the Bengals this week, hoping to be the latest tight end to arrive in Cincinnati and utilize the Joe Burrow career trampoline. From CJ Uzomah to Hayden Hurst to Tanner Hudson to Mike Gesicki, the trend is clear: play with Burrow, post career-best numbers, cash in. All four of those tight ends signed the biggest contracts of their careers after catching passes from Burrow. Advertisement Now, Fant, the 28-year-old former first-round pick of the Broncos, fresh off being released by the Seahawks, could be next in line. 'That's definitely a known thing,' Fant said about the production and payment. 'Obviously that is one of the enticing things about coming here. Hopefully, I'm able to do so. First and foremost, help the team win. They have big dreams and aspirations here of winning the Super Bowl. I want to help do that and be part of a winning culture.' Fant pivot from future earnings to earning a role and winning is a nice touch, though it's in addition to the reasons why the Bengals' front office moved so aggressively to sign him. His deal includes a base salary of $2.75 million with incentives that could add another $1.5 million. His money was nearly a wash with the release of Zack Moss ($1.8 million cap savings) earlier in the week. The Bengals quietly hoped to add to the tight end room all offseason but never saw the right match in free agency or the draft. The Fant release fell right in their lap and they wasted no time securing him. He doesn't know what his role will be, but expect it to be in the same vein as Erick All Jr.'s role, as more of a dual threat — though blocking is not Fant's strong suit. Fant ranked in the top-10 among all tight ends the last two years in YAC/reception and ranked second in YAC/reception on third downs. 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