Montana reschedules Morehead State to complete 2024 non-conference schedule

Montana will play three of its four 2024 non-conference football games in the friendly confines of Washington-Grizzly Stadium, with Morehead State rescheduled to fill the remaining open date on that schedule, Grizzly Athletics announced Tuesday.

UM was initially slated to play the Eagles in 2020 but was canceled due to the pandemic.

That game will now be played in 2024, and with the Big Sky guaranteeing four conference home games, the Grizzlies will get the rare chance to play seven regular-season games in Missoula for the first time since 2007.

Montana has also agreed to a new, one-game contract with Western Carolina, moving the 2024 contest in Missoula back a week to accommodate Morehead State and eliminating the 2025 return trip to Cullowhee, North Carolina.

"We are glad we could reschedule the game with Morehead State, and shifting Western Carolina to a single game in Missoula works well," said director of athletics Kent Haslam.

"I am also excited to get seven home games. Playing games in Washington-Grizzly Stadium is a real benefit for our university and community. I appreciate the hard work of many to get the schedule finalized."

Montana will now open the 2024 season against Missouri State on Aug. 31 in Missoula before traveling to Grand Forks to face former Big Sky opponent North Dakota on Sept. 7, giving UM two-straight games against teams from the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

The Griz then return home to play Morehead State for the first time in school history on Sept. 14 and cap the non-conference schedule on Sept. 21 against another first-time opponent in Western Carolina.

With an extra week within the 2024 competition window, Montana will play its second 12-game schedule in two seasons, when UM faced South Dakota, North Alabama, Oregon, and Monmouth during 2019's non-conference slate.

The last time Montana played seven regular-season home games in 2007, the Grizzlies opened with five-straight home games and five-straight wins en-route to an unblemished regular-season record and an 11-1 overall record.

In February, the Big Sky President's Council voted to move the 2020 conference season to 2021. With Southern Utah set to depart the Big Sky in 2022, league officials have scrapped future conference schedules and will re-draw the Big Sky matrix after the '21 season.

The movement of the 2020 season to 2021 also means the 120th edition of the Brawl of the Wild game against Montana State will be played at home, marking the first time the Griz/Cat game will be contested in Missoula on an odd year since 1925.

From 1926 to 1951, the cross-state rivalry was played on neutral turf in Butte. Since then, Missoula has hosted the game on even years.

The Grizzlies open the 2021 fall season on Sept. 4 at Washington, with the home opener set for Sept. 11 against Western Illinois and a third non-conference home game Oct. 9 against Dixie State.

Future Grizzly Football Schedules

2022 Football Schedule
9.3       Northwestern State
9.10     South Dakota
9.17     @ Indiana State

2023 Football Schedule
9.2       Butler
9.9       @ Dixie State

2024 Football Schedule
8.31     Missouri State
9.7       @ North Dakota
9.14     Morehead State
9.21     Western Carolina

2025 Football Schedule
9.13     North Dakota
9.20     Indiana State

2026 Football Schedule
9.05     Dixie State

2027 Football Schedule
9.18     Dixie State

University of Montana Athletics

Montana reschedules Morehead State to complete 2024 non-conference schedule

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