FARMINGTON, Utah (Nov. 13, 2022) - It finally happened. ESPN announced on Sunday that “College GameDay” is heading to Bozeman, Montana, for this week's 121st Brawl of the Wild between nationally-ranked Montana State and Montana, marking the popular pregame show's first-ever trip to a Big Sky campus.
College GameDay will be live from Bozeman at 7:00-10:00 a.m. MT on Saturday, Nov. 19, with kickoff between the Bobcats and Griz slated for 12:00 p.m. MT. Fans can watch the 121st Brawl of the Wild on ESPN+ or tune in to Montana Television Network, who will also be carrying the game's broadcast.
“College football fans all over America are about to learn what everyone in Big Sky country has known for a long time: the ‘Brawl of the Wild’ is truly one of the game’s greatest rivalries,” Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said. “On behalf of the Big Sky Conference, we eagerly welcome our partners from ESPN and their crew to beautiful Bozeman for what always is an electric environment wherever the annual Montana vs. Montana State game is held. The campaign to bring College GameDay to a Big Sky campus for the first time began in earnest over a year ago, and the Griz staff deserve a lot of credit for those efforts, which the Bobcat crew built upon this season. I also want to thank all of our fans and the staff in our conference office for their relentless push on social media to showcase the pride and passion across our league. We look forward to showing Rece, Kirk, Lee, Desmond, Pat, David, Jess, Bear, and the entire GameDay crew a great time in the Big Sky!”
This Saturday's trip to an FCS campus will mark the 12th for the College GameDay crew and the second this year after visiting Jackson State and Deion Sanders on Oct. 29.
The push to get College GameDay to the Big Sky began over a year ago, as the league advocated for Missoula to host last season's Brawl of the Wild. The Big Sky put its own spin on the popular ‘Comin’ to Your City’ song by Big & Rich to gain attention and entice the College GameDay crew, before they ultimately chose Michigan State versus Ohio State last season.
The Big Sky didn’t give up on its push however, as the league mounted another social media campaign in 2022. The campaign came to fruition on Sunday, after ESPN announced College GameDay will visit the Big Sky for the first time and gain notoriety for the league and of course the Brawl of the Wild.
The Bobcats (9-1, 7-0 Big Sky) enter Saturday's contest with a shot at the Big Sky title on the line, while the Griz (7-3, 4-3 Big Sky) look to strengthen their FCS Playoff resume and win the Brawl of the Wild in back-to-back seasons.
Follow all things #BigSkyFB on Twitter and Instagram at @BigSkyFB. Follow the Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for all the latest news around the league and use the hashtag #ExperienceElevated.