Montana Grizzlies and Lady Griz

The Montana Grizzlies and Lady Griz are the nicknames given to the athletic teams of the University of Montana, located in Missoula. The university is a member of the Big Sky Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding six men's teams (basketball, football, cross country, tennis, and track and field (indoor and outdoor)) and nine women's teams (basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), and volleyball).^[2] The football team has won the university's only two NCAA championships.

Montana Grizzlies
University	University of Montana
Conference	Big Sky Conference
NCAA	Division I (FCS)
Athletic director	Kent Haslam
Location	Missoula, Montana
Varsity teams	15
Football stadium	Washington–Grizzly Stadium
Basketball arena	Dahlberg Arena
Softball stadium	Grizzly Field
Soccer stadium	South Campus Stadium
Mascot	Monte the Bear
Nickname	Grizzlies, Griz, Lady Griz
Fight song	Up With Montana
Colors	Maroon and silver^[1]
Website	www.gogriz.com

Big Sky Conference logo in Montana's colors

History

Nickname and mascot

See also: Monte (mascot)

Originally known as the Bears with a live black bear named Teddy as the mascot, the university's basketball team officially became the Grizzlies (sometimes called the Silvertips) in 1923 when they were admitted to the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC).^[3] That same year Montana became the first state in the nation to designate grizzlies as a protected game animal.^[4] This name change would later prove problematic, however, for their new PCC conference-mate UCLA who had also recently changed their name to the Grizzlies. When UCLA petitioned to join the conference in 1926, Montana claimed rights to the name and the UCLA Grizzlies became the UCLA Bruins when they were admitted to the conference in 1928.^[5]

The Grizzlies continued to use live bears as mascots until the early 1960s. In addition to Teddy, there was a Cocoa, a Chester, and three different Fessy's (named after former football coach Doug Fessenden), among several others. In the 1970s and 1980s costumed mascots were introduced, but as mascots of local sponsors, not the university. This included the Hamm's Beer bear, a chicken from a local radio station, and even Ronald McDonald.^[6] Later in the 1980s, a costumed mascot by the name of Grizzly Otto (after local sponsor Grizzly Auto) was introduced as part of the Montana cheer squad. The current mascot, Monte (short for Montana), was introduced in 1993 and in 2002 became the first winner of the Capital One Bowl's "Mascot of the Year" contest. He won again in 2004 and was nominated three other times.^[7][8]

Colors

1893–1967	Maroon & Silver
1968–1996	Copper & Gold
1997–present	Maroon & Silver

The university's official colors are copper, silver, and gold, and were chosen in recognition of the state's mining history. Contrary to popular perception, these colors have never changed with the confusion stemming from the university's decision to represent "copper" with either maroon or Texas orange at various times in its history.

When the university was founded in 1893 and its colors chosen, a lack of copper dye led the school to use maroon and occasionally other colors to represent the copper. This had the effect of having the athletic teams not always being represented across the board by the same uniform colors. In 1967, then head football coach and athletic director Jack Swarthout, who personally preferred the maroon and silver used by the football team, sought to make the schools colors more consistent and held a vote among UM coaches. They selected Texas orange (to represent copper) and gold to be used on the school's uniforms and it remained for the next thirty years.^[9]

The maroon was brought back as part of the university's centennial celebrations in 1993 and a student survey in 1995 showed support for a return to maroon and silver uniforms. Despite some vocal opposition, by 1997 the colors began to phase into the maroon and silver that continues to be used.^[10][11][12]

Programs

Football

Main article: Montana Grizzlies football

The football team won national championships in 1995 and 2001 and qualified for a record 17 consecutive playoffs (1993–2009). Football has been played at Montana since 1897, 126 years ago, and the Grizzlies have played in their current home, Washington–Grizzly Stadium, since 1986.

The Grizzlies rank among the all time playoff appearance leaders, with appearances in 1982, 1988, 1989, and 1993–2009. The playoff streak is the record at the I-AA level (now FCS). The continuous streak ended in 2010 with a loss to rival Montana State which ended Montana's season at 7-4 and without an invitation to the post-season for the first time in 18 years.

Montana won the national championship in 1995 under Don Read when Dave Dickenson led the team to a victory over Marshall University in the national championship game. In 2001, coach Joe Glenn led the Montana Grizzlies to another national championship, defeating Furman University by a score of 13–6.

The annual rivalry game against Montana State University of Bozeman is called the Brawl of the Wild. Through 2013, the Griz lead the series 70-37-5 (.647). A former rivalry game against the University of Idaho Vandals was for the Little Brown Stein. Montana trails that series at 27-55-2 (.333), but the Griz won the last four meetings, between 2000 and 2003.

Entering NFL training camps for the 2012 season, there are 13 players from Montana currently in the NFL.

Men's basketball

Main article: Montana Grizzlies men's basketball

The men's basketball team plays its home game at Dahlberg Arena. They have been to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament twelve times and the National Invitation Tournament four times.

Women's basketball

Main article: Montana Lady Griz basketball

The Lady Griz, as the women's basketball team is known, is one of the most successful women's basketball programs in the country. As of the end of the 2008–2009 season they have compiled a 757-252 (.750) record and a 388-85 (.820) conference record. Their head coach was Shannon Schweyen, who was elevated from top assistant during the 2016 offseason following the retirement of Robin Selvig, who had compiled an 865–286 (.752) record in 38 seasons with the Lady Griz. They play their games at Dahlberg Arena.

The Lady Griz have made the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship tournament 22 times, compiling a 6–18 record. They've also have 3 WNIT appearances. Through all of their success, the Lady Griz have never advanced past the second round, having reach it 7 times (1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1995). They have also won 22 regular season conference championships (Northwest Women's Basketball League (2), Mountain West Conference (5), Big Sky Conference (15).

Athletic facilities

Adams Center Auxiliary Gymnasiums^[13] (Volleyball)

Built 1998 Part of main facility Adams Center which opened in the fall of 1999 after nearly two years and $15 million of renovation. Divided into two separate venues (West and East). West Auxiliary Gymnasium (WAG) – playing venue for volleyball program WAG capacity (1218) East Auxiliary Gymnasium (EAG) – used as a practice facility for all UM sports programs, including basketball, cross country, golf, football, soccer, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.

Dahlberg Arena^[14] (Basketball)
Built in 1953 Basketball Arena

Dornblaser Field^[15] (Track and Field)
Built 1967 Track and Field Off-campus facility bearing the same name as a former on-campus facility it replaced in 1967. The Dornblaser fields successively fielded the Montana football team until a new facility (Washington–Grizzly Stadium) was completed on campus in 1986.

Robert O. Lindsay Tennis Center^[16]
Includes 9 courts

Grizzly Field^[17] (Softball)
Softball Stadium Built 2014–15 Capacity (1000) Located at the corner of South and Higgins avenues, Next to South Campus Stadium was constructed for the fledgling Griz Softball team. Grizzly Field was built with "FieldTurf". Additionally an indoor batting facility was installed to allow the Griz to practice year round.

South Campus Stadium^[18] (Soccer)
Soccer Stadium Capacity (1000) Located at the corner of South and Higgins avenues, South Campus Stadium was constructed partly from volunteer funds and services donated by the Missoula soccer community.

Washington–Grizzly Stadium^[19] (Football)

Football Stadium Built 1986 (Expansions in 1995, 2003, and 2007) Current capacity (25,217) In August 1985 Missoula businessman Dennis R. Washington and the employees of Washington Corporations provided a gift of $1 million and the stadium has since been the named Washington–Grizzly Stadium. The cost of the stadium was around $3.2 million. There are 49 private boxes located on the east and west sides of the stadium, and they are individually decorated and furnished. Stadium Additions 1986 – Original layout had 12,500 permanent seats, and seating was available, weather-permitting, in the grass end zones, which made the capacity around 15,000. 1995 – In the spring of 1995 the stadium underwent its first expansion in the north and south end zones. The cost of that expansion was about $2.5 million and brought seating to 19,000. 2001 – Sprinturf was added prior to the 2001 season at a cost of about $1 million, which was paid for by an anonymous donor, but with the request that the field be named "John Hoyt Field" in honor of John Hoyt, a long-time Grizzly booster, who died in March of that year. A new Sprinturf playing surface was installed prior to the 2008 season 2002 – GrizVision, a state-of-the-art video and message center, was added in 2002. GrizVision displays game statistics, player profiles, digital replays, and shots of the crowd. The screen is one of the largest in the FCS, measuring 26 feet by 36 feet, and it came from New York City and Times Square. 2003 – The second expansion occurred in the spring and summer of 2003, and approximately 4,000 seats were added to the north end zone section, increasing the stadium capacity to 23,183, with a cost around $3.5 million. 2007 – The third expansion, at a cost of approximately $6.5 million, occurred prior to the 2008 football season. The eastside expansion now houses a 500-seat "Stadium Club" with two membership levels: the "Canyon Room" has 125 seats inside and 125 seats outside, and the "Hellgate Terrace," which has 250 seats. This expansion increased the current seating capacity of Washington- Grizzly Stadium to 25,217.

University Marching Band

Main article: University of Montana Grizzly Marching Band

The band has its origins in the late 19th century and has since continued its tradition into the new millennium. Marching in contemporary corps-style, the program endeavors to stay on the cutting edge of trends in outdoor music performances. The program is also one of the most visible organizations on the University of Montana campus, performing at all Grizzly football home games in the 25,500-seat Washington–Grizzly Stadium. The group also travels to several conference games throughout the Northwest and has accompanied the football team to four Division I-AA National Championships in recent years.^[20]

Fight song

Main article: Up With Montana

"Up With Montana"

. . . and the squeal of the pig will float on the air; from the tummy of the Grizzly bear.

closing line of "Up With Montana"^[21]

The lyrics to "Up with Montana" are credited to Dick Howell, a Law student and member of the glee club in the 1910s, "to commemorate the rivalry" for game number twenty-one between UM and Montana State University, in 1914.^[22] The origin of the tune itself, however, is disputed. The Stanford Jonah is a fight song of the University of California, Berkeley written in 1913 by Ted Haley as an entry into a song contest held by the Daily Californian. The song continues to be a hit at most sporting events, but specifically at events between the California Golden Bears and their rival, the Stanford Cardinal. Georgia Tech's "White And Gold" and The Naval Academy's "Up With The Navy" (which gives credit to the University of Montana),^[23] also share a similar tune.

Former sports

Montana formerly competed in wrestling, skiing, and women's gymnastics; all three programs were dropped in 1987 due to budget restrictions by the university regents.^[24] The baseball program was discontinued following the 1972 season;^[25][26] its Campbell ballpark was adjacent to the north end of Dornblaser Field (II), aligned southeast (home plate to center field).

See also

• List of college athletic programs in Montana

References

1. "Montana Grizzlies FAQs". March 3, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
2. "Montana Grizzlies Athletics – The Official Athletic site of The University of Montana Grizzlies". Gogriz.com. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
3. "Archived copy" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2016-10-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
4. (PDF). Nrmsc.usgs.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-02-21. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
5. Stadium Stories: UCLA Bruins. Roberts, Chris. Globe Pequot. (2005). p. 7
6. "Guide to The University of Montana Mascot History Collection 1904-2006". Nwda-db.wsulibs.wsu.edu. 2004-05-21. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
7. "The Montanan – The Magazine of The University of Montana". Umt.edu. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
8. . Archived from the original on September 29, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
9. "Matt Wells to enter Montana's Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame". Missoulian. (Missoula, Montana). (UM sports information). June 4, 2018.
10. (PDF) . Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2016. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
11. "Around the Oval". Umt.edu. 1995-09-29. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
12. . Montana Kaimin. Archived from the original on 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
13. "The Official Athletic site of The University of Montana Grizzlies". GoGriz.com. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
14. "The Official Athletic site of The University of Montana Grizzlies". GoGriz.com. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
15. "The Official Athletic site of The University of Montana Grizzlies – Facilities". GoGriz.com. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
16. "The Official Athletic site of The University of Montana Grizzlies". GoGriz.com. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
17. "The Official Athletic site of The University of Montana Grizzlies". GoGriz.com. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
18. "The Official Athletic site of The University of Montana Grizzlies". GoGriz.com. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
19. "The Official Athletic site of The University of Montana Grizzlies". GoGriz.com. 1986-10-18. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
20. . Umt.edu. Archived from the original on 2013-10-01. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
21. [1] July 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
22. "The Montanan – The Magazine of The University of Montana". Umt.edu. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
23. . Archived from the original on May 31, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2016. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
24. "UM budget forces cut in athletics". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. December 20, 1986. p. C1.
25. "Decision likely". Spokane Daily Chronicle. May 1, 1972. p. 20.
26. "Zags need win". Spokane Daily Chronicle. May 7, 1973. p. 22.

External links

• Official website