Kickoff times set for Cats, Griz home games

In just six weeks, college football is set to return to the state of Montana. And that means the season-openers for both the Montana Grizzlies and Montana State Bobcats, both of whom are expected to be FCS Top 10 teams when the first official Stats FCS poll comes out next month.

As preparations continue for the upcoming season, both UM and MSU have released most of their game times for the season, including all home games. Much of the television schedule has also been released, though some games are being finalized.

Montana opens the season Sept. 3 at home against Northwestern State of the Southland Conference. That game will kick off at 1 p.m., with TV coverage to be determined. The Griz remain home to face MVC rival South Dakota Sept. 10. That game will also kick off at 1 p.m. with coverage TBD. UM's first road game will be against Indiana State, in what is an all FCS non-conference schedule this season. The Griz will play in Terre Haute, Indiana, Sept. 17 with an 11 a.m. M.S.T. kickoff. TV coverage is also still being determined for that game.

Montana opens Big Sky Conference play at home against Portland State Sept. 24. That game will be UM's homecoming game and kicks off at 2 p.m. with TV coverage on MTN. The Griz are on the road Oct. 1 at Idaho State, with that game on MTN before their bye week. UM returns to Missoula to host Idaho Oct. 15 with a 1 p.m. kickoff on MTN. Two huge road games then loom, with an Oct. 22 nationally televised game on ESPN at Sacramento State. That game kicks off at 9 p.m., followed by a trip to Weber State Oct. 29. That game will be on MTN. Montana three plays back-to-back home games in November. On Nov. 6, the Griz host Cal Poly in a 6 p.m. kickoff in Missoula, followed by a monster showdown with Eastern Washington Nov. 13. That game on MTN, kicks off at 1 p.m.

The Bobcats meanwhile, open the season Sept. 3 with their Gold Rush game at 6 p.m. against Southland powerhouse McNeese State. The Cats remain home to play Morehead State Sept. 10 at 1 p.m., before playing Pac 12 power Oregon State Sept. 17 in Portland. That game is also a 6 p.m. kickoff.

The Cats open Big Sky play with a huge battle at Eastern Washington Sept. 24. The game kicks off at 1 p.m. before MSU comes home to host UC Davis in a game on ESPN2/ESPNU. The national TV game will start at 8:15 p.m. in Bozeman. MSU is also home to host Idaho State for homecoming at 2 p.m. Oct. 8, before return to the road to take on Northern Colorado Oct. 15. That game time has yet to be determined. MSU is back home to host Weber State at 1 p.m. Oct. 22.

After the bye week, the Cats play back-to-back road games, at Northern Arizona Nov. 5 and at Cal Poly Nov. 12. The kickoff for the Cal Poly game is 6 p.m., meaning MSU will play at least four night games this season.

The annual Brawl of the Wild is set for Nov. 19 at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman. The game will kick at noon and be televised on MTN. The rest of MSU's TV schedule hasn't been announced as of yet, but all Bobcat and Grizzly games can be streamed on ESPN+ this fall.