Big Sky · Bobcat Stadium · 17,000 · 22,277 avg in 2026
LastW 20–7 at Nevada · Sat Sep 12 · Taki Uluilakepa 1 TFL, 1 INT, 6 tackles
Nextvs Central Connecticut · Sat Sep 19 · 3 pm ET · Bobcat Stadium · Game preview
Updated Tue Sep 15 · through week 2
Program Prestige · Montana State
11 seasons inside the CFP era, no bids yet — the era the program is still trying to break into.
Montana State's 2014–2025 record is 101-44. The era is still being written; the CFP line is the one the program is arguing for.
Program outlook
Montana State just reversed 42 years of heartbreak and decades of rivalry inferiority in a single stunning season: the Bobcats won the 2025 FCS National Championship.
For most of its history, Montana State lived in Montana's shadow—a program that watched its rival hoist two national championships (1995, 2001) while the Bobcats waited. The Grizzlies won 11 straight Brawl of the Wild games from 1997 to 2007 and entered 2024 with a commanding 74–44–5 series lead. The wound was generational: Montana seemed destined to dominate forever.
The 2025 season shattered that narrative in 12 months. Under head coach Brent Vigen, Montana State finished the regular season 10–2 and earned the No. 2 playoff seed. The turning point came on November 22, 2025, when the Bobcats traveled to Missoula to face No. 2 Montana in a Big Sky Conference championship game. Montana State won 31–28, a seismic upset that claimed the conference title and began the redemption arc. Three weeks later, in the FCS playoff semifinals, the Bobcats demolished Montana 48–23, reversing a one-time 74–44–5 series deficit to take a 12–11 lead.
The championship run culminated on January 5, 2026, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Montana State faced Illinois State in the FCS National Championship game. The Bobcats won 35–34 in overtime on a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Justin Lamson to Taco Dowler. The victory ended a 42-year national championship drought (the last title came in 1984 under Dave Arnold, 19–6 vs Louisiana Tech) and announced Montana State as an elite FCS program. The program that waited for generations finally got its moment.
Montana State plays relentless, opportunistic football with an elite quarterback (Lamson), a dominant defense, and the ability to win on the road and in the playoffs. The 2025 team never backed down and refused to collapse under championship pressure.
All-time record · Montana State
266-236-13 all-time · 104 seasons · 1911–2026
Program memory
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
Montana State defeats Louisiana Tech 19–6 to win the NCAA Division I-AA (FCS) national championship. The Bobcats'' first and only FCS title before 2025. Dave Arnold''s team proved that Montana State could win at the national level.
Montana defeats Montana State 11 straight times from 1997 to 2007, a streak that symbolized Montana''s regional dominance. The drought was not a fluke but a systematic gap: Montana were champions; Montana State were the state''s second program.
Heartbreak
Montana State defeats Montana 31–28 on the road in the Brawl of the Wild on November 22, 2025, to claim the Big Sky Conference championship—the first road victory by either team in the rivalry since 2018. Three weeks later, the Bobcats demolished Montana 48–23 in the FCS playoff semifinals. The back-to-back victories reversed a 74–44–5 series deficit and announced Montana State as the elite program in the rivalry.
On January 5, 2026, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Montana State defeats Illinois State 35–34 in overtime to claim the 2025 FCS National Championship. Quarterback Justin Lamson throws a 14-yard touchdown pass to Taco Dowler in the corner of the endzone in overtime. The victory ends Montana State''s 42-year championship drought (last title: 1984) and proves that the Bobcats are now an elite FCS program, not a challenger.
Moment of the season — so far · Montana State · 2026
Week 1 of 2026. A statement margin. Recruiting boards re-rendered overnight.
NFL Draft Pipeline
2022–2025Developing. Pipeline emerging.
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Big Sky standing · 2026
Montana State is 3rd in the Big Sky at 1-0. 2 teams above — that's the direct path to the title game.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana | 2-0 |
| 2 | Cal Poly | 1-0 |
| 3 | Montana State | 1-0 |
| 4 | Northern Arizona | 1-0 |
| 5 | UC Davis | 1-0 |
| 6 | Southern Utah | 1-1 |
| 7 | Weber State | 1-1 |
| – | Idaho State | 0-0 |
| 9 | Eastern Washington | 0-1 |
| 10 | Idaho | 0-1 |
| 11 | Northern Colorado | 0-1 |
| 12 | Portland State | 0-1 |
| 13 | Utah Tech | 0-2 |
Coaching history
The rituals that anchor a Saturday in this program's world.
since 1897
The fourth-oldest active rivalry in FCS, dating to November 26, 1897. For decades, Montana dominated—Montana led 74-44-5 entering 2025. In the 2025 season, Montana State won both the regular-season matchup (31-28) and the FCS playoff semifinal (48-23), reversing a one-time 74-44-5 deficit and claiming the Big Sky title. The rivalry now belongs to the Bobcats.
since 1986
Montana State fans pack Bobcat Stadium, built in 1986, to create one of the loudest atmospheres in the Big Sky Conference. The stadium has grown into the emotional center of Bozeman football culture and the launchpad for the Bobcats' 2025 championship run.
since 2000
Montana State fans dress in gold to create a sea of color at Bobcat Stadium, a tradition that amplifies home-field advantage and signals the program's identity as a rising power in the Big Sky.
Bowl / Postseason Ledger
Most recent: 2025 — win 35-34 (home). Last 5 postseason: 3-2.
Program Prestige · Montana State
Moment of the season — so far · Montana State · 2026
NFL Draft Pipeline
Bowl / Postseason Ledger