Eight total members of the Big Sky Conference and Summit League have agreed to compete in a four-year men's basketball series beginning in the 2026-27 season.
 
Four teams from each conference will play one home and one away game against a participating member from the other league during each of the next four seasons. The series will consist of eight games per year and 32 total games between the 2026-27 and 2029-30 seasons.
 
Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, and Montana State will represent the Big Sky Conference in the series. The Summit League's representatives are North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota, and South Dakota State.
 
"This is a great opportunity for all schools involved to play competitive games against peer institutions in the non-conference season," said NDSU head coach David Richman. "Our ability to schedule games, let alone home games, continues to be a battle. Getting these games locked in against familiar, mid-major schools will be a plus for our fanbase."
 
The series revives a four-year scheduling agreement between members of the two conferences which previously took place between the 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons, and it continues a scheduling relationship after the current league-wide Big Sky-Summit Challenge agreement, which ends this year, was not renewed.
 
The list of year-by-year matchups includes the following:
 
Year One (2026-27)
Idaho at South Dakota State
North Dakota State at Idaho
North Dakota at Montana State
Montana State at South Dakota
Idaho State at North Dakota State
South Dakota State at Idaho State
South Dakota at Montana
Montana at North Dakota
 
Year Two (2027-28)
Idaho at South Dakota
North Dakota at Idaho
South Dakota State at Montana State
Montana State at North Dakota State
Idaho State at North Dakota
South Dakota at Idaho State
North Dakota State at Montana
Montana at South Dakota State
 
Year Three (2028-29)
South Dakota State at Idaho
Idaho at North Dakota State
Montana State at North Dakota
South Dakota at Montana State
North Dakota State at Idaho State
Idaho State at South Dakota State
Montana at South Dakota
North Dakota at Montana
 
Year Four (2029-30)
South Dakota at Idaho
Idaho at North Dakota
North Dakota State at Montana State
Montana State at South Dakota State
North Dakota at Idaho State
Idaho State at South Dakota
Montana at North Dakota State
South Dakota State at Montana