Montana Grizzlies Tickets

Let’s take a look at some of the past achievements of the Montana Grizzlies, before we get into their current status and what to expect from the upcoming games!

History of the Montana Grizzlies

The first football season at the University of Montana was in 1897, with the team winning against future rival, Montana State. Initially the team only played against schools within Montana. That changed when it helped create the Northwest Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NWIAA) in the year 1902. Following this, games were played against Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Whitman College and several other teams.

1935 – 1948

After various ups and downs, Montana Grizzlies were well on their way to playing proper college level football. In the years between 1935 and 1948, Doug Fessenden was the head coach of the team. He was the first coach of the team to end his career with a winning record.

1951-1961

This time period is known as the Mountain States (Skyline) Conference era. The team did not win any season in this conference and did not win more than three games until the 1960 season. In 1962, the conference was dissolved and Montana State joined the Big Sky Conference.

1967-1975

After consistently poor performances, specifically in the 1966 season, Jack Swarthout was hired as the head coach of the team. Along with his assistant, the performance of the team improved to 7-3 in their first season. The team went on to win two back to back regular seasons in 1969 and 1970. Even though success was expected, the team’s performance went down in 1971.

1986-1995: Swarthout eventually wound up leaving the team. Following his departure, the Grizzlies only managed to have on winning season in the next 10 years. After this, Don Read was hired as the head coach. He gave the team 2 conference titles and Montana’s first national championship.

1996-1999: Mick Dennehy was the next head coach. The performance of the team under him was consistent, but they did not manage to go beyond playoffs.

2000-2002: The next head coach Joe Glenn brought with him high hopes for the team because of his previous record with the University of Northern Colorado. His first two years saw the team making it to the national championship, but the winning streak did not last long.

2003-2009: The next head coach for the team was Bobby Hauck. His managed to take the team to the national championship in 2004, 2008 and 2009, but did not win the title in any year.

2010-2011: Robin Pflugrad, previously the wide receivers coach, became the head coach after Hauck’s departure. Even though the team’s performance during this era was pretty good, controversies got the better of them.

2012-2014: Mick Delaney was hired as the new head coach in July, 2012. He was with the team for three seasons and then retired.

2015-Present: In 2014, the team brought in Bob Stitt as the head coach. He started with one of the most memorable games for the team when the Grizzlies beat FCD National Champions North Dakota State in a 38-35 win.

Rivalries

Over the years, the Montana Grizzlies have developed rivalries against three major opponents.

The Montana State Bobcats are their major rivals. The two teams have played a total of 115 times and the Grizzlies lead 72-37-5.

Idaho Vandals: The Grizzlies used to play a rivalry game against the Idaho Vandals. They trail in the 84 games they have played against the vandals, with an overall record of 27-55-2.

East Washington Eagles: Montana leads this series with a record of 26-15-1.

If you want to catch these guys live in action in their upcoming games, you need to get your hands on these Montana Grizzlies tickets and check out what they are all about!