2026 Griz football schedule finalized

With an extra week added to the football calendar by the NCAA and the addition of two new league members, the Big Sky has revised its 2026 football schedule, the conference announced Tuesday.

Montana director of athletics Kent Haslam also announced the addition of the Drake Bulldogs to Montana's nonconference slate, completing the entirety of the Grizzlies' 2026 schedule.

The Griz will play seven games at home and five on the road in the 12-game slate, opening the year with three straight at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. UM will then play two more games at home in October and two more in November before capping the regular season on the road at Montana State.

What used to be "week zero" will now be week one as the Griz open the 2026 season in Missoula on Aug. 29, hosting new league member Southern Utah in a Big Sky game. The Thunderbirds return to the conference in 2026 after winning two titles as members between 2012 and 2021. Montana is 8-2 all-time against SUU.

The Griz play their first nonconference game of the season on week two when Drake comes to Missoula for the second all-time meeting between the two programs on Sept. 5. Montana defeated Drake 48-16 in their first meeting with the Bulldogs back in 2018 and lead the series 1-0.

On week three the Griz return home to face the other new Big Sky member in Utah Tech on Sept. 12, but the game will be a nonconference contest as part of Montana's previously existing home-and-home slate with the Trailblazers. Montana is 2-0 all-time against Utah Tech.

The Grizzlies then take to the road and will face an FBS opponent for the first time since 2021 when UM beat Washington in Seattle as the Griz travel to Corvallis to face Oregon State on Sept. 19. The Beavers lead the all-time series with UM 12-2-2, but Montana won the last meeting between the two 35-14 back in 1996.

UM returns to conference play on the road the following week, traveling to California to face UC Davis on Sept. 26.

The Griz then return home for Homecoming, hosting the Northern Colorado Bears on Oct. 3 to close out the first half of the season.

It's back on the road a week later as UM travels to Northern Arizona for an Oct. 10 conference game in Flagstaff.

UM returns home after that to face Idaho in a battle for the Little Brown Stein on Oct. 17 – the second-consecutive year the Vandals have visited Missoula.

Following the bye week on Oct. 24, the Griz return to the road to face Eastern Washington on Oct. 31 I Cheney.

It's then back home for two more as Portland State comes to town on Nov. 7, followed by the final regular season game at Washington-Grizzly Stadium of the year on Nov. 14 against Idaho State.

The 125^th edition of the Brawl of the Wild takes center stage on Nov. 21 in Bozeman to close-out the regular season.

The updated 2026 Big Sky schedule was voted on and approved at conference meetings last week.

The 2027 Big Sky schedule is still being retooled to accommodate the additions of Utah Tech and Southern Utah as full-time conference members. UM does have one nonconference matchup scheduled as Lehigh visits Missoula on Sept. 4.

In 2028 Montana hosts Monmouth on Sept. 1 and travels to Incarnate Word in San Antonio on Sept. 9 in the nonconference slate.

UM will face South Dakota State on Sept. 1, 2029, in Last Vegas as part of ESPN's Kickoff series. The Griz then return home to play Incarnate Word on the back end of a home-and-home series.

Montana Football 2026
Aug. 29: SOUTHERN UTAH*
Sept. 5: DRAKE
Sept. 12: UTAH TECH
Sept. 19: at Oregon State
Sept. 26: at UC Davis*
Oct. 3: NORTHERN COLORADO*^
Oct. 10: at Northern Arizona*
Oct. 17: IDAHO*
Oct. 24: Open
Oct. 31: at Eastern Washington*
Nov. 7: PORTLAND STATE*
Nov. 14: IDAHO STATE*
Nov. 21: at Montana State*

Montana Football 2027
Sept. 4: LEHIGH

Montana Football 2028
Sept. 1: MONMOUTH
Sept. 9: at Incarnate Word

Montana Football 2029
Sept. 1: vs South Dakota State
Sept. 8: INCARNATE WORD

Home games in BOLD
*= Big Sky Conference Game
^= Homecoming

University of Montana Athletics

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