BYU-I Sports

The story of athletics at BYU–Idaho begins long before the school carried its current name. On November 12, 1888, the LDS Church created the Bannock Stake Academy in Rexburg to provide education for settlers in eastern Idaho before public schools were established. Ten years later, as church growth divided the region into new stakes, the school became the Fremont Stake Academy.

In 1903, the institution was renamed Ricks Academy to honor Thomas E. Ricks, chairman of the school’s first Board of Education. As other church academies closed, Ricks survived by adding college-level work. By 1917 it was known as Ricks Normal College, preparing teachers for Idaho schools, and in 1923 it became Ricks College, a two-year junior college. After surviving multiple closure attempts during the 1930s, Ricks gained accreditation in 1936 and later grew into the largest private junior college in the nation, serving more than 7,500 students by the late twentieth century.

Athletics emerged as a defining feature of campus life. Known as the Vikings, Ricks College joined the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and competed nationally from 1919 to 2002. The program was remarkably successful: 17 national team championships, 61 individual national titles, and nearly 100 first-team All-Americans. Women’s cross country dominated the NJCAA landscape from the late 1980s through the early 2000s, winning nine national titles. Men’s cross country also claimed championships in 1965, 1966, 1986, 1999, 2000, and 2001. Women’s volleyball captured a national crown in 1974, and women’s track and field added another in 1997.

Ricks football, meanwhile, produced more than 25 alumni who went on to play in the NFL or CFL. Other notable alumni include Olympic gold medalist wrestler Rulon Gardner, MLB pitcher Matt Lindstrom, and Oregon women’s basketball coach Kelly Graves.

The athletics era ended in June 2000 when the LDS Church announced Ricks College would become Brigham Young University–Idaho, a four-year institution. As part of the transition, intercollegiate athletics were phased out in favor of an expanded intramural and student activities model. The decision reflected both financial realities and a shift toward participatory opportunities for the entire student body.

Though varsity sports disappeared, the legacy of Ricks College athletics remains strong. The Viking tradition produced champions, professional athletes, and unforgettable community pride. For many alumni, those decades of competition still symbolize what athletics can contribute to campus life, a legacy worth remembering as conversations about the future of BYU–Idaho athletics continue.