Hauck, Cotton, and Forbes set to represent Montana annual Big Sky Kickoff

Montana head football coach Bobby Hauck, senior safety TraJon Cotton, and senior center AJ Forbes head to Spokane, Wash., this weekend to represent Montana at the annual Big Sky Conference Football Kickoff.

This year's kickoff is set for Saturday, July 22, through Monday, July 24, at the Northern Quest Resort & Casino.

Montana basketball legend Larry Krystkowiak will also be on hand to be inducted into the Big Sky Conference Hall of Fame.

Hauck is poised to become the winningest coach in Big Sky history this season, needing eight more wins to break the conference record of 123.

A leader on the field and in the locker room, Cotton is a Grizzly honors candidate this season after making 11 starts and totaling 44 tackles as a junior.

Forbes earned All-Big Sky honors as a junior and is once again poised to be an honors candidate as he enters his third season as UM's starting center.

Cotton and Forbes will be taking fans behind the scenes at this year's kickoff with a takeover of the Griz football Instagram account, @montanagrizfootball.

Multiple live broadcasts of the kickoff and hall of fame events are scheduled throughout the weekend on ESPN+, as well as streaming platforms from UM and Big Sky broadcast partners Scripps Television and SWX.

The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be broadcast live on the platforms below and via tape delay at 7 p.m. PT on Sunday, July 23, on ESPN+.

Scripps Television will live stream the Hall of Fame ceremony Saturday, along with its own show live from the Big Sky Football Kickoff on Monday morning on the following streaming platforms:

KPAX Missoula
KTVQ Billings
KBZK Bozeman
KRTV Great Falls
KTVH Helena
KIVI Boise
KSTU Salt Lake
KSBY San Luis Obispo
KNXV Phoenix
KMGH Denver

The Big Sky Football Kickoff Live Show will start at 9 a.m. PT on Monday, July 24, on ESPN+ and the above streaming platforms.

Hauck, Cotton, and Forbes will be live on ESPN+ and Scripps Television as part of the league's kickoff show on Monday morning, with the Grizzly contingent set to go on at 11:50 a.m. PT.

2023 Big Sky Football Kickoff Live Show (ESPN+)
9:15 a.m. – Cal Poly (Wulff/Weichman/Ngaluafe)
9:30 a.m. – Northern Arizona (Ball/Hall/Ho Ching)
9:44 a.m. – Weber State (Mental/Atagi/Reid)
10:05 a.m. – Montana State (Vigen/Chambers/Askelson)
10:38 a.m. – Idaho State (Hawkins/Davis/Pitcher)
10:54 a.m. – UC Davis (Hawkins/Hastings/Connors)
11:08 a.m. – Northern Colorado (Lamb/Sirmon/Hoage)
11:29 a.m. – Portland State (Barnum/Chachere/Henry)
11:50 a.m. – Montana (Hauck/Cotton/Forbes)
12:04 p.m. – Sacramento State (Thompson/Martin/Bailey)
12:29 p.m. – Eastern Washington (Best/Chism III/Sampson)
12:43 p.m. – Idaho (Eck/Hatten/Jackson)

SWX TV, who will broadcast Montana's two nonconference home games, will also have a live presence on Monday at the Big Sky kickoff, with interviews throughout the day. Hauck is scheduled to be live on SWX from 10:08 – 10:14 a.m. PT. Cotton and Forbes are scheduled from 10:24 to 10:30.

The preseason media poll, coaches' poll, and the preseason all-conference team will be announced at 8 a.m. PT on Monday at GoGriz.com and on Montana's social media channels.

University of Montana Athletics

Hauck, Cotton, and Forbes set to represent Montana annual Big Sky Kickoff

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