Southern Utah fielded its inaugural team in 1963 with Bruce Osborne as head coach,[4] remained an NAIAindependent through 1968, then became a charter member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).[5] The Thunderbirds were members of the RMAC from 1969 to 1985, with an overall record of 86–73–3 (.540) during that time.[4] After 1985, Southern Utah moved to NCAA Division II and joined the Western Football Conference(WFC).[6] While in the WFC from 1986 to 1992, the Thunderbirds' overall record was 41–34–1 (.546).[4]
In 1993, Southern Utah moved up to Division I-AA and joined the American West Conference (AWC) as a charter member.[7] The AWC folded after the 1995 season, and the Thunderbirds were 9–23–1 (.288) overall in those three years. They were an independent for eight years,[8] then became a charter conference member again in 2004 with the Great West Conference (GWC).[9]
In November 2010, Southern Utah announced its admission to the Big Sky Conference, effective in 2012.[10]
The Thunderbirds won their first Big Sky championship in 2015, defeating Northern Arizona49–41 in the regular season finale at Cedar City. They had an 8–3 regular season, with losses to Utah State, South Dakota State, and Portland State; their eight wins were by mostly large margins. With the success, head coach Ed Lamb joined the staff at Brigham Young in Provo and defensive coordinator Demario Warrenwas promoted.[11]
