Griz travel to Oregon St. In 2026; host Lehigh in 2027 opener
The Montana Grizzlies added a pair of one-off football games to their 2026 and 2027 schedules, one against an old conference foe and the other against a first-time opponent.
Montana will travel to Corvallis, Oregon on Sept. 19, 2026 to face Oregon State of the re-established Pac-12 at Reser Stadium. The Griz will also open their 2027 schedule at home against Lehigh University of the Patriot League on Sept. 4 in Missoula.
Montana and Oregon State were co-members of the Pacific Coast Conference from 1924-1950 until the Grizzlies departed for the old Skyline Conference in 1951. The Griz and Beavers have faced each other 16 times over the years, dating back to 1925. While Montana is just 2-12-2 against Oregon State, the Grizzlies have won the last two meetings: 35-14 in 1996 and 22-15 in 1990.
The win in 1996 came in the midst of a 14-game streak that ended in the 1996 FCS title game with a loss to Marshall; the 1990 victory came with Grady Bennett at quarterback and helped UM reach No. 2 in the FCS Top 25 under coach Don Read.
Lehigh and Montana are two of less than 30 programs currently in the subdivision that boast more than 600 wins. The Mountain Hawks — formerly, the Engineers — played their first year of college football in 1884, while Montana started in 1897; Lehigh and Lafayette have one of the few rivalries older than the Cat-Griz “Brawl of the Wild.”
Lehigh, centered in Bethleman, Pennsylvania, is coming off a Patriot League championship in 2024, going 9-4 overall and 5-1 in conference play. The Mountain Hawks owned the tiebreaker over Holy Cross and received the league’s automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs.
Lehigh defeated No. 9 Richmond on the road 20-16, then had its season end with a 24-13 loss at Idaho in the second roound.
The Grizzlies now have one remaining open date in 2026 and 2027 before the schedules are complete. There are nonconference games scheduled for 2028 against Monmouth and a home-and-home series against Incarnate Word in 2028-29.
In 2025, Montana will play an FCS record eight home games starting with Central Washington in the season opener on Sept. 6 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula. Highlights on the schedule also include home games against North Dakota, Idaho, Eastern Washington, and Montana State, with Homecoming set for Oct. 11 against Cal Poly.
Deposits for new season ticket packages are now being accepted, with single game tickets and three-game min plans going on sale later this summer. To secure your season tickets to this year’s historic schedule, visit GrizTix.com or GoGriz.com/Tickets.
Griz Schedule
2025
Sept. 6: Central Washington
Sept. 13: North Dakota
Sept. 20: Indiana St.
Sept. 27: Idaho
Oct. 4: at Idaho St.
Oct. 11: Cal Poly
Oct. 18: Sacred Heart
Oct. 25: at Sacramento St.
Nov. 1: at Weber St.
Nov. 8: E. Washington
Nov. 15: at Portland St.
Nov. 22: Montana St.
2026
Sept. 5: Open
Sept. 12: Utah Tech
Sept. 19: at Oregon St.
Sept. 26: Portland St.
Oct. 3: at UC Davis
Oct. 10: Sacramento St.
Oct. 17: Open
Oct. 24: at Idaho
Oct. 31: Idaho St.
Nov. 7: at No. Arizona
Nov. 14: No. Colorado
Nov. 21: at Montana St.
2027
Sept. 4: Lehigh
Sept. 11: Open
Sept. 18: Utah Tech
Sept. 25: at Cal Poly
Oct. 2: Weber St.
Oct. 9: at No. Colorado
Oct. 16: at Portland St.
Oct. 23: Open
Oct. 30: UC Davis
Nov. 6: No. Arizona
Nov. 13: at E. Washington
Nov. 20: Montana St.