the Big Sky Conference along with representatives from Gonzaga University, University of Idaho, Idaho State University, Montana State University, and the University of Montana. Although Weber State barely existed on paper when the league was first discussed, it became one of the leagues larger schools in enrollment from the very beginning. Weber also possessed adequate physical facilities for competition in the league through the opening of its new on-campus gymnasium (now Swenson Gym) with a seating capacity of over 5000 and the expansions of seating in Wildcat Stadium. Weber played as an independent in all sports during 1962-1963 and has participated in Big Sky competition since its first year of competition in 1963-1964. The league has provided Weber and other league schools with a credible level of competition and the conference affiliation necessary, particularly in basketball, for entry into the NCAA Tournament. Membership within the league has changed somewhat since the leagues inception. Boise State University, Webers junior college rival, and Northern Arizona University joined the league in 1970-1971, the University of Nevada-Reno in 1979-1980, and Eastern Washington University in 1987-1988. Gonzaga University withdrew after 1978-1979. In some sports, however, Weber and other league members must compete for entry into NCAA championships as at-large entrants of District VII, the NCAA region encompassing the Big Sky, the Western Athletic Conference, and other Division One schools of the Rocky Mountain West. This is particularly true of Wildcat running programs, golf, and tennis. League rules and NCAA regulations have had a decisive role in determining many facets of Webers athletic program ever since. When the Big Sky was formed, competition was established in ten sports: football, basketball, baseball, track, crosscountry, golf, tennis, swimming, wrestling, and skiing. Although it was not mandatory to field teams in all sports, Weber was one of the few league schools that eventually did so. The conference in 1973-1974 dropped four sports: golf, tennis, swimming, and skiing. Golf and tennis were reinstated in 1976-1977 although golf was again dropped after the 1986-1987 season. Indoor track was added in 1978-1979 and wrestling was cut by the conference after 1986-1987. The conference, therefore, presently maintains a six-sport program which conforms to the minimum standards of the NCAA for Division One competition: 1-AA football, basketball, tennis, crosscountry, outdoor track, and indoor track. Weber eliminated its baseball and swimming programs after the 1973-1974 season but was able to maintain golf and tennis during their brief banishment from the league in the mid-1970s because of financial support from the community. The college has preserved the mens golf program since its exclusion from the conference but dropped wrestling in the spring of 1988 after a one-year attempt to maintain it without conference affiliation. Beginning in 1970-1971 Weber has played Utah State, Utah, and BYU in a second season for Wildcat cage teams. Weber first played Utah State during that season and since then has generally played the Aggies twice each season and single games with Utah and BYU. Utah State also played Weber annually in football from 1972 to 1982. Weber won only one of these games, a wild 44-25 contest during a snowstorm in Logan in 1978. Weber played Utah twice in football, in 1978 and 1984, and BYU in 1973 and 1979. Weber initiated both a football and a basketball series with Southern Utah State College in 1984, winning all three football games that have been played between the two schools, and are 5-1 in basketball against the Thunderbirds. Webers football program has been guided by five coaches since 1962: Wally Nalder, 1962-1964 (13-13); Sark Arslanian, 1965-1972 (50-26-2); Dick Gwinn, 1973-1976 (10-32-1); Pete Riehlman, 1977-1980 (15-28); and Mike Price, 1981 to the present (41-38). Nalder drew upon past junior college Wildcats, including Brent Hancock, Lynn Corbridge, and Terry Van Vleet, to establish 5-4 and 6-3 records during Webers first two years of senior college competition. A tough non-conference schedule in 1964 and a slate of three conference foes caused Webers record to slide to 2-6 for the year. Sark Arslanian established the most successful single football coaching record in football at Weber as a four-year school. His Wildcats won shares of two Big Sky championships. In 1965 Weber shared the title with Idaho with a 3-1 conference record and 8-1 overall. Henry Owens and Lee White carried most of the offensive burden for the Wildcats but a tough defensive unit also limited nine opponents to only 102 points for the season. Weber finished the season ranked fifth among College Division schools. In 1968 Weber shared the Big Sky championship with both Idaho and Montana State. The Wildcats were 3-1 in the conference and 7-2 overall. Webers offense featured a strong rushing attack, an Arslanian trademark, led that year by Jack Brown and Sam Gipson and an excellent passing game featuring quarterback Paul Waite and Dave McGillivary. The football program wavered during the mid-to-late 1970s as the competitive level of the Big Sky increased significantly with the admission of Boise State, Northern Arizona and Nevada-Reno. Webers non-conference football schedule was extremely challenging as the Wildcats played their major in-state rivals in football and tangled, particularly during Gwinns years as head coach, with schools with larger programs, such as Nevada-Las Vegas, Southern Mississippi, Eastern Michigan, and Western Illinois. The Mike Price era since 1981 has seen a significant improvement in Webers football fortunes. Price revised past recruiting policies by enlarging the size of the squad, encouraging walk-ons, and appealing particularly to in-state players. On the field Price has employed a wide-open pro offense, emphasizing the passing game. Webers 1987 football season stands in sharp contrast to many past campaigns. Led by quarterback Jeff Carlson, running backs Sean Sanders and Fine Unga, and linebackers Joe Long and Vernell Quinn, the Wildcats established a 9-2 regular season record and were 7-1 in conference play. Relegated, however, to second place in the league standings because of their loss to conference champion Idaho in October, the Wildcats avenged this setback by thumping the Vandals 59-30 in the first round of the Division I-AA playoffs. Webers season ended one week later in the playoff quarter-finals with a 51-23 loss to Marshall University. The 1987 team was Webers most successful as a four-year institution in