| Montana State Bobcats football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1897; 127 years ago | ||
| Athletic director | Leon Costello | ||
| Head coach | Brent Vigen 4th season, 43–9 (.827) | ||
| Stadium | Bobcat Stadium (capacity: 17,777 (seating); 20,767 (total)) | ||
| Field surface | FieldTurf | ||
| Location | Bozeman, Montana | ||
| Conference | Big Sky Conference | ||
| All-time record | 525–492–32 (.516) | ||
| Bowl record | 3–1–2 (.667) | ||
| Claimed national titles | 3 (NAIA): 1956 (Div. II): 1976 (Div. I FCS): 1984 | ||
| Conference titles | 22 (5 RMAC, 17 Big Sky) | ||
| Rivalries | Montana (rivalry) | ||
| Consensus All-Americans | 20 [1] | ||
| Colors | Blue and gold[2] | ||
| Fight song | Stand up and Cheer! | ||
| Website | MSUBobcats.com | ||
The Montana State Bobcats football program competes in the Big Sky Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision for Montana State University. The program began in 1897 and has won three national championships (1956, 1976, and 1984). It is the only college football program in the nation to win national championships on three different levels of competition, NAIA, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS). Through the 2022 season, the Bobcats had played in 1,049 games with an all-time record of 525–492–32.[3]
The first championship came in Montana State's last season in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, which moved to NAIA in 1952. The national championship was the first ever for the RMAC and was also the first time the NAIA had a football champion. The Bobcats were members of the RMAC from 1917 to 1956, after being an independent from 1897 to 1916. MSC rejoined the NCAA (College Division) in 1957, and had one of its most successful runs as an independent from 1957 to 1962 with six straight winning seasons, including an 8–2 mark in 1957 and 8–1 in 1958. In 1963, Montana State became a charter member of the Big Sky Conference and has since won two national championships.[4]
Montana State has won 21 conference titles, including 16 in the Big Sky Conference and five in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Bobcats have won conference titles in eight of the past nine decades and have won multiple conference titles in seven of the last eight decades. MSU finished the 1926 season undefeated in RMAC conference games, but was not awarded a conference title. They have qualified for the NCAA playoffs thirteen times, once (1976) as a Division II member and twelve times (1984, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023) as a Division I-AA/FCS member. Through the 2023 season, the Bobcats are 18–13–2 in postseason play.[5]
Their primary rival are the Montana Grizzlies, whom they meet in the annual Brawl of the Wild, more commonly referred to as the Cat-Griz game by MSU students, alumni and supporters.[6]
- ^ "NCAA Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2014. pp. 13–18. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
- ^ "MSU Brand Guide". Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- ^ "2019 FB Information (PDF)" (PDF). Montana State University Athletics. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
- ^ "Big Sky History". bigskyconf.com. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
- ^ "2019 Bobcat Football Record Book (PDF)" (PDF). Montana State University Athletics. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
- ^ Welsch, Jeff (November 8, 2021). "Whether 'Brawl,' Cat-Griz or (ugh) Griz-Cat, our big game – like our state – is wildly one of a kind". 406mtsports.com. Retrieved January 9, 2022.