Montana Grizzlies football
| Montana Grizzlies football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| First season | 1897; 129 years ago | ||
| Athletic director | Kent Haslam | ||
| Head coach | Bobby Kennedy 1st season, 0–0 (–) | ||
| Location | Missoula, Montana | ||
| Stadium | Washington–Grizzly Stadium (capacity: 25,203) | ||
| Field | John Hoyt Field | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | Big Sky | ||
| Colors | Maroon and silver | ||
| All-time record | 659–522–26 (.557) | ||
| Bowl record | 0–4 (.000) | ||
| NCAA Division I FCS championships | |||
| 1995, 2001 | |||
| Conference championships | |||
| Big Sky: 1969, 1970, 1982, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2023 | |||
| Rivalries | Montana State (rivalry) Eastern Washington (rivalry) Idaho (rivalry) | ||
| Website | gogriz.com | ||
The Montana Grizzlies football (commonly referred to as the "Griz") program represents the University of Montana in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of college football. The Grizzlies have competed in the Big Sky Conference since 1963, where it is a founding member. They play their home games on campus in Missoula at Washington–Grizzly Stadium, where they had an average attendance of 26,978 in 2023.
The Grizzlies had a streak of 25 consecutive winning seasons from 1986 to 2011, including seven runs to the NCAA FCS (formerly Division I-AA) championship. As of completion of the 2023 season, the 2012 season is the Montana Grizzlies' only losing season in the past 37 years. The Grizzlies play in Washington-Grizzly Stadium, known as the Mecca of the FCS. It is known for its relentless crowd noise and intense passion of its fans. They have a winning percentage of .890 including the playoffs. In Stadium Journey Magazine, Washington-Grizzly was ranked #1 in all of the FCS for football game day experience and 7th in all college football including FBS schools. They hold the records for most playoff appearances in a row (17), Big Sky Conference titles in a row (12), and overall playoff appearances (19). Their success made them the most successful program in all of college football in the 2000s (119 wins) and third most successful team in FCS in the 1990s (93 wins). On September 4, 2021, Montana upset the #20 (FBS) Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington.