Montana State Bobcats

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Montana State Bobcats
Montana State Bobcats logo.svg
University Montana State University
Conference Big Sky Conference (primary)
Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (men's and women's skiing)
NIRA (rodeo)
NCAA Division I (FCS)
Athletic director Leon Costello
Location Bozeman, Montana
Varsity teams14
Football stadium Bobcat Stadium
Basketball arena Worthington Arena at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse
Other venues Shroyer Gym (volleyball) Bridger Bowl (skiing)
NicknameBobcats
ColorsBlue and gold [1]
   
Website www.msubobcats.com
Big Sky Conference logo in Montana State's colors Big Sky logo in Montana State colors.svg
Big Sky Conference logo in Montana State's colors

The Montana State Bobcats are the varsity athletic teams representing Montana State University in Bozeman in intercollegiate athletics. The university sponsors thirteen teams including men and women's basketball, cross country, skiing, tennis, and track and field; women's-only golf and volleyball; and men's-only football. The Bobcats compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Big Sky Conference [2] with the exception of the men's and women's skiing teams which belong to the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association. [3] Their main rivals are the Grizzlies of the University of Montana in Missoula. Both schools are charter members of the Big Sky Conference, which began competition 59 years ago in the fall of 1963.

Contents

Teams

Individual teams

Men'sWomen'sCo-ed
Basketball Basketball
Cross CountryCross Country
Football Golf
SkiingSkiing
TennisTennis
Track & FieldTrack & Field
VolleyballSpirit Squad

Basketball

Montana State Bobcats basketball history includes one of college basketball's legendary teams, the Golden Bobcats of the late 1920s. The school's basketball teams had acclaimed fame throughout the 1920s by playing "racehorse basketball" and becoming one of the first schools in the nation to employ what is known as the fast break. Montana State College coach Ott Romney, who graduated with a Masters from MSC prior to World War I, [4] pioneered the style of play, and by 1926 had assembled a team perfectly suited to playing an up-tempo brand of ball. Cat Thompson, John "Brick" Breeden, Frank Ward, Val Glynn and Max Worthington were at the heart of the MSC team that won the Rocky Mountain Conference title three straight seasons, and bested Utah State, BYU, Colorado, and University of Denver. The 1928–29 team reached college basketball's zenith by defeating the AAU Champion Cook's Painters in a two-of-three series and steamrolling to the Rocky Mountain Conference title. The Bobcats were retroactively recognized as the pre-NCAA Tournament national champion for the 1928–29 season by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll and the Helms Athletic Foundation. [5] The Helms Foundation also named Cat Thompson one of the five greatest players in the first half of the 20th century in college hoops.

Football

In 1956 the Bobcats football team took a share of the NAIA championship in the Aluminum Bowl in Little Rock, Arkansas playing to a 0–0 tie on a muddy field with the Pumas of St. Joseph’s College from Rensselaer, Indiana. In 1976 the Bobcats of Montana State won a national football title in NCAA Division II at Wichita Falls, Texas beating the Zips of Akron, Ohio 24-13 in the title game. In 1984, the Bobcats returned to a national football title game played in Charleston, South Carolina, beating the Bulldogs of Louisiana Tech 19-6 for their third national football title. The MSU Bobcats football is the only college team with national titles in three different classifications. The team has won 19 conference titles and has made the NCAA FCS playoffs 9 times.

Rodeo

Montana State Bobcats rodeo team has a long proud history with the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. For almost 30 years MSU hosted the College National Finals Rodeo. Bobcat Rodeo teams have won 8 national team titles, 32 individual national championships and multiple Big Sky Regional crowns. The Bobcats Rodeo team operates under the MSU Department of Student Affairs and enjoys outstanding booster support form the C.A.T. Rodeo Scholarship Association.

Skiing

Montana State Bobcats Alpine and Nordic Ski team compete in the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association and the NCAA Western Region and has produced 13 national champions. The Bobcat Nordic and alpine ski program venues at Bridger Bowl and Bohart Ranch have hosted six NCAA National Championships. [6] The Big Sky Conference dropped its sponsorship of skiing and four other sports after the 1974 season. [7] [8] [9]

Spirit Squad

The Montana State Spirit Squad is broken down into the Cheer team and Dance team.

Former sports

Baseball

Montana State dropped its baseball program 51 years ago, following the 1971 season, [10] [11] and rival Montana played just one additional year. [12] The Big Sky dropped baseball after the 1974 season, along with four other sports. [7] [8] [13]

Wrestling

The Bobcat wrestling program won the first three Big Sky titles (1964, 1965, 1966); [14] the conference discontinued the sport 35 years ago, after the 1987 season. [15]

Related Research Articles

Big Sky Conference American collegiate athletic conference

The Big Sky Conference (BSC) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the eight states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Four affiliate members each participate in one sport: two from California are football–only participants and two from the Northeast participate only in men's golf.

Frontier Conference

The Frontier Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference was founded in 1934. Member institutions are located in the northwestern United States, in the states of Idaho, Montana, and Oregon.

Montana State University University in the United States

Montana State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's largest university. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 68 fields, and doctoral degrees in 35 fields through its nine colleges. More than 16,700 students attended MSU in fall 2019, taught by 796 full-time and 547 part-time faculty.

Brick Breeden Fieldhouse

The Brick Breeden Fieldhouse is a multi-purpose indoor arena located on the campus of Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. It is the home of the Montana State Bobcats of the Big Sky Conference; the primary venue for men's and women's basketball and indoor track and field.

Montana–Montana State football rivalry American college football rivalry

The Montana–Montana State football rivalry is an annual college football rivalry game between the University of Montana Grizzlies and the Montana State University Bobcats. The game is most historically and commonly known as the Cat-Griz game or GRIZ-cat and since 1997 as the Brawl of the Wild. The winner receives the Great Divide Trophy.

Montana Grizzlies football University of Montana college football team

The Montana Grizzlies football program represents the University of Montana in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of college football. The Grizzlies have competed in the Big Sky Conference since 1963, where it is a founding member. They play their home games on campus in Missoula at Washington–Grizzly Stadium, where they had an average attendance of 25,377 in 2016.

Idaho Vandals Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Idaho

The Idaho Vandals are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing the University of Idaho, located in Moscow. The Vandals compete at the NCAA Division I level as a member of the Big Sky Conference.

Boise State Broncos Intercollegiate sports teams of Boise State University

The Boise State Broncos are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Boise State University, located in Boise, Idaho. The Broncos compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The Broncos have a successful athletic program overall, winning the WAC commissioner's cup for the 2005–06 and 2009–10 years. Boise State joined the MW on July 1, 2011.

Montana State Bobcats football Football program of Montana State University

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. 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. Through the 2021 season, the Bobcats had played in 1,035 games with an all-time record of 523–492–32.

Idaho State Bengals Intercollegiate sports teams of Idaho State University

The Idaho State Bengals are the varsity intercollegiate athletic teams representing Idaho State University, located in Pocatello, Idaho. The university sponsors thirteen teams including men and women's basketball, cross country, tennis, and track and field; women's-only golf, soccer, softball, and volleyball; and men's-only football. The Bengals compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level and are currently a member institution of the Big Sky Conference. The Bengals' in-state athletic rivals are the University of Idaho Vandals.

Idaho State Bengals football Football team of Idaho State University

The Idaho State Bengals football program represents Idaho State University in college football. The Bengals play their home games at Holt Arena, an indoor facility on campus in Pocatello, Idaho. Idaho State is a charter member of the Big Sky Conference in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Through the 2021 season, the Bengals have an all-time record of 478–543–20 (.469). Idaho State's current head coach is Charlie Ragle, who was hired on December 10, 2021.

Montana State Bobcats mens basketball Mens basketball program representing Montana State University

The Montana State Bobcats men's basketball team represents Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Big Sky Conference. They play their home games at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.

The Idaho Vandals baseball team was the varsity intercollegiate baseball team of the University of Idaho, located in Moscow, Idaho.

The 1976 Montana State Bobcats football team represented the Montana State University in the 1976 NCAA Division II football season. The team was led by sixth-year head coach Sonny Holland and won the Division II national championship. The Bobcats played their home games on campus in Bozeman at Reno H. Sales Stadium.

The 1979–80 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team represented the University of Idaho during the 1979–80 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Vandals were led by second-year head coach Don Monson and played their home games on campus at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho.

1974–75 Montana Grizzlies basketball team American college basketball season

The 1974–75 Montana Grizzlies basketball team represented the University of Montana during the 1974–75 NCAA Division I basketball season. Charter members of the Big Sky Conference, the Grizzlies were led by fourth-year head coach Jud Heathcote and played their home games on campus at Adams Fieldhouse in Missoula, Montana.

The 1987–88 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team represented the University of Idaho during the 1987–88 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Members of the Big Sky Conference, the Vandals were led by second-year head coach Tim Floyd and played their home games on campus at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho.

The 1971 Montana State Bobcats football team was an American football team that represented Montana State University in the Big Sky Conference during the 1971 NCAA College Division football season. In their first season under head coach Sonny Holland, the Bobcats compiled a 2–7–1 record.

The 1972 Montana State Bobcats football team was an American football team that represented Montana State University in the Big Sky Conference during the 1972 NCAA College Division football season. In their second season under head coach Sonny Holland, the Bobcats compiled an 8–3 record and won the Big Sky championship.

The 1974 Montana State Bobcats football team was an American football team that represented Montana State University in the Big Sky Conference during the 1974 NCAA Division II football season. In their fourth season under head coach Sonny Holland, the Bobcats compiled a 7–4 record and finished second in the Big Sky.

References

  1. ↑ "MSU Brand Guide" . Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Member Institutions".
  3. ↑ http://www.rmisaskiing.com/
  4. ↑ "G. Ott Romney Staff Bio | Athletic Director". Brigham Young University. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  5. ↑ ESPN, ed. (2009). ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. New York, NY: ESPN Books. pp. 532–34. ISBN   978-0-345-51392-2.
  6. ↑ "Bobcat Skiing A Commitment to Excellence" (PDF). Montana State University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  7. 1 2 "Big Sky drops fives". Ellensburg Daily record. UPI. May 15, 1974. p. 11.
  8. 1 2 "Idaho off probation, loop titles dwindle". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Lewiston, Idaho. May 15, 1974. p. 13.
  9. ↑ "Past Skiing Champions". Big Sky Conference. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Zags clinch 'ND' crown". Spokesman-Review. May 10, 1971. p. 12.
  11. ↑ "Decision likely". Spokane Daily Chronicle. May 1, 1972. p. 20.
  12. ↑ "Zags need win". Spokane Daily Chronicle. May 7, 1973. p. 22.
  13. ↑ "Past Baseball Champions". Big Sky Conference. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Idaho State wins first mat crown". Spokesman-Review. February 27, 1967. p. 8.
  15. ↑ "Past Wrestling Champions". Big Sky Conference. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
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