Portland State Men's and Women's Basketball will take part in a new sort of rivalry during the 2023-24 season as the Big Sky Conference and the Summit League have created the Big Sky – Summit Challenge.
 
The agreement for the challenge series was made official on April 18.
 
This upcoming campaign, the Challenge will take place on January 3 and 6, 2024 and each program in the conference will play one home game and one away game against teams from the Summit League. For the Big Sky, this means there will be one weekend of in-conference competition on December 28 and 30, 2023, leading into the Challenge the following week. 
 
The Viking men will host the first home game in the series against the Western Illinois Leathernecks on Wednesday, Jan. 3, then travel to play at the Kansas City Roos on Saturday, Jan. 6.
 
The Viking women will play the first game on the road, Jan. 3, at Kansas City. Then, they will host the St. Thomas Tommies at home on Jan. 6.
 
Each men's and women's team in the Big Sky will follow that format with a home and a road game, and there will be a total of 40 games played in the series.

The matchups for the series will be determined annually using data from past seasons, including NET rankings and regular-season conference finishes, along with consideration for the prior season matchups. For the Challenge games this season, the leagues also took into account previously scheduled non-conference contests as a factor in determining the matchups.
 
The Big Sky Conference has yet to release the final conference schedules for both men's and women's programs. The remainder of non-conference games are also being determined. When those games are finalized later this summer, Portland State will release the men's and women's full schedules.
  
2023-24 Big Sky – Summit Challenge Matchups
 
Eastern Washington Men
Home: North Dakota State (Jan. 6)
Away: South Dakota (Jan. 3)
 
Eastern Washington Women
Home: Omaha (Jan. 3)
Away: North Dakota (Jan. 6) 
 
Idaho Men
Home: St. Thomas (Jan. 3)
Away: Western Illinois (Jan. 6) 
 
Idaho Women
Home: Western Illinois (Jan. 6)
Away: Denver (Jan. 3) 
 
Idaho State Men
Home: Omaha (Jan. 6)
Away: Denver (Jan. 3)
 
Idaho State Women
Home: North Dakota (Jan. 3)
Away: South Dakota (Jan. 6) 
 
Montana Men
Home: South Dakota (Jan. 6)
Away: North Dakota State (Jan. 3)
 
Montana Women
Home: South Dakota (Jan. 3)
Away: Omaha (Jan. 6)
 
Montana State Men
Home: Oral Roberts (Jan. 3)
Away: South Dakota State (Jan. 6)
 
Montana State Women
Home: North Dakota State (Jan. 3)
Away: South Dakota State (Jan. 6)
 
Northern Arizona Men
Home: North Dakota (Jan. 6)
Away: Omaha (Jan. 3)
 
Northern Arizona Women
Home: South Dakota State (Jan. 3)
Away: North Dakota State (Jan. 6) 
 
Northern Colorado Men
Home: Denver (Jan. 6)
Away: North Dakota (Jan. 3)
 
Northern Colorado Women
Home: Denver (Jan. 6)
Away: Oral Roberts (Jan. 3) 
 
Portland State Men
Home: Western Illinois (Jan. 3)
Away: Kansas City (Jan. 6) 
 
Portland State Women
Home: St. Thomas (Jan. 6)
Away: Kansas City (Jan. 3)
 
Sacramento State Men
Home: Kansas City (Jan. 3)
Away: St. Thomas (Jan. 6) 
 
Sacramento State Women
Home: Oral Roberts (Jan. 6)
Away: St. Thomas (Jan. 3)
 
Weber State Men
Home: South Dakota State (Jan. 3)
Away: Oral Roberts (Jan. 6)
 
Weber State Women
Home: Kansas City (Jan. 6)
Away: Western Illinois (Jan. 3)