There’s nothing more electric than USA Today’s #1 sports town on a game day! People from all over the state and beyond flock to Washington-Grizzly Stadium, donning their maroons and silvers, hyped to cheer on the Grizzlies. Students make the quick walk over to the stadium, their energy even more amped as they take their seats in the student section near the south end zone.
On a game day Saturday in Missoula, Montana, the whole town comes together for one big community celebration, where everyone is welcome. What else do you need to know about a game day in Missoula? Here are the big-ticket items:
Before game day, students can log in to GrizTix using their student account and 790 number to redeem their free tickets. Even though they are free, tickets are still required to enter the stadium. If students have trouble with the website, visit the lovely folks in the Adams Center to get your ticket.
Zoo Crew has a few things in the works for a future pre-game function. In the meantime, joining Zoo Crew gets you into the games a bit earlier for some fun pre-game entertainment.
You can also wander around your section of the stadium to see what game-day comfort foods you can eat. Pizza Hut, hot dogs, candy, popcorn- there’s plenty to choose from. Twenty minutes until the game starts, it’s a tradition for someone special to raise the 37 flag. The team comes out of the tunnel to ear-ringing cheers and fireworks zip to the sky. Then comes Monte on some sort of vehicle. After the coin toss, the game is ready to begin.
This one is pretty simple- wear your Griz gear! Games have themes, so check the Athletics Football page to see what to wear. For example, there is a Stripe the Stadium game where each section wears a certain color. It is also important to use a clear bag when bringing items into the stadium. Later into the fall, those Hellgate winds nip, so hand warmers, hats, blankets and hefty jackets come in handy.
Monte’s first appearance comes five minutes or so before game time, where he hypes the crowd up by dancing and doing gymnastics to some hype music. Throughout the game, he wanders around the stadium and hypes the crowd by dancing, doing gymnastics, showing off more of his amazing gymnastics skills. He also messes around with folks and joins in the shenanigans in the student section. It’s no wonder Monte joined the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2024.
Zoo Crew Leader Hunter Yova wants students to know that Washington-Grizzly Stadium is the coolest stadium in college football (with accolades to boot!) One way to get deep into the action is to join Zoo Crew as a front-row, early-access student, prepared to lead the charge of the student section. Vibes are high that close to the field, and there’s never a dull moment in the student section.
Traditions in the student section include yelling “move the chains,” responding to “first down” with an invigorated “Montana!” and unrolling a massive banner after the first Grizzly touchdown. Later, pizza from the President arrives, keeping up morale, and students write heckles or words of encouragement on the boxes for Griz Vision.
While any student can join the student section, being in Zoo Crew has its perks, including free tickets to club sports, apparel, first knowledge of events, marketing experience and leadership experience. And on game days, early access to games, fun pre-games, kick for cash (where you can win $1,000 or more), and the ability to be as close to the turf as you can.
To sum it up, Yova’s words ring true. “It’s not just a student section, but student life.” (Baller quote, he says.)
Learn More: Join Zoo Crew Today
How many traditions do we have? A lot.
When people think of game days, the Grizzly Marching Band cannot be left out. During the games, they sit in the south end zone playing ominous music, hype music, little ditties and more. At halftime, they run out onto the field with their instruments and create shapes as a group while playing pop music, usually with a theme. It’s the perfect intermission before the second half!
Read More: My Experience in UM's Grizzly Marching Band
Cheering is the most important aspect of a game, so the cheer and dance teams deserve a shout out! During the game, the cheerleaders lead the call-and-response chant of, “Montana!” “Grizzlies!” They hype up the loud North End Zone and perform a routine after a touchdown, including running with big G, R, I, Z flags!
The dance team keeps up morale elsewhere in the stadium, dancing to the music DJ Briggs cooks up, the band plays and more.
Each November, Missoula and Bozeman start their friendly community-service-driven competition called Can the Cats. Members of each community raise money and donate food leading up to the Brawl of the Wild, the rivalry game between the Grizzlies and Bobcats. At the end, the money raised and pounds of food are added up, and the winner gets bragging rights for the year. But more importantly, two communities chip in to help during the holiday season.
The Griz-Cat game switches locations each year, and it’s THE place to be. The energy is hypnotic and supporters of each team go all out in their gear and cheers. At the end, the winner receives the Brawl of the Wild trophy.
Read More: Your Guide to Brawl of the Wild
You can listen to Griz Games on KGRZ 92.7 FM/1450 AM. Depending on the game, you can watch on cable, ESPN+ or Scripps Network. You can check out where to watch games here.
Game days brings the community at large together and lasts the entire day. From tailgate mornings to a hot spot of Griz fans spread across town for dinner or drinks, the game day doesn’t end after Q4 hits 0:00. There’s so much to enjoy at a football game, so make sure to put on your maroons and silvers and become part of the crowd as soon as possible! You’re always welcome at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.