Washington–Grizzly Stadium

The rivalry between the University of Montana Grizzlies and the Montana State Bobcats can be traced back to November 26, 1897 in Bozeman. The fanbases of the two schools is split by the Continental Divide, which is a natural mountainous division of the state. Montana Griz fans on the west side and the Montana State Bobcats fans on the east side of the Divide. In 2001, the two schools formalized the rivalry and made the Great Divide Trophy one of the hardest fought rivalries in the FCS.

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The iconic bronze statue on the University of Montana, known as “the Grand Griz,” is something to check out when going to attend a game. It is located at the center of the campus and has been there since 1969.

The tunnel run at the beginning of each home game is a show of itself. It starts with the male cheerleaders running out waving Montana Griz flags while the female cheerleaders do front handsprings onto the field. While the crowd is cheering, the football team runs through an inflatable football helmet through the smoke. The players know to come onto the field when they hear the song “Bring Em Out.” As they run onto the field, fireworks shoot into the air and the cannon is shot.

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Since the fall 0f 1993, Monte, short for Montana, has been the University of Montana’s mascot. He has been a fan favorite and was named National Champion Mascot of the year twice (2002-03, 2004-05). He is a very animated mascot that can be found goal post smashing, motorcycle riding, crowd surfing, doing back flips, and pulling pranks. He makes hundreds of appearances in the community every year. He even made an appearance alongside Joe Montana in a Super Bowl commercial.

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Griz fans have come accustom to having a cannon shot every time the home team gets a touchdown. Every time it goes off, all of the fans cheer louder and louder. When the cheerleaders run out of the tunnel at the beginning of the game, the cannon is also shot off.

One tradition that has stuck over the years is the trio of Montana’s state flag being brought onto the field with the team for every game. No matter if it is a home or an away game, fans can be sure to witness Griz upperclassmen bringing the flags into battle when they run onto the field. Citizens of Montana are very proud of the state in which they live. When carrying the flag, even the players from out of state feel like they are from Montana from hearing the cheering crowd.