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Cats, Griz announce 2017 kickoff times, TV coverage

The Montana Grizzlies and Montana State Bobcats are about to report to fall camp and now Cats and Griz finally know exactly when and where they can watch their two favorite teams play.

While both the Grizzlies and Bobcats' schedules have been finished for months, it was only last week that the two schools announced their full slate of kickoff times, as well as their television coverage.

Montana begins the season Sept. 2 at home against FCS foe Valparaiso, and for the first time in several seasons the Griz' home opener will not be a night game. Montana will play Valparaiso in a traditional 1 p.m. game inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium. UM opens the season with three straight non-conference games, as the Griz travel to the University of Washington to play the Huskies Sept. 9. That game, against the defending Pac 12 champions, and a Husky team that went to the College Football Playoff, will kick off at 6 p.m. M.S.T. UM then returns home for a 1 p.m. game against FCS Savannah State Sept. 16.

The Griz' one and only night game is also its Big Sky Conference opener, and it's a big one. Montana welcomes in arch rival Eastern Washington Sept. 23, with a 6 p.m. kickoff and the game being televised nationally on Root Sports. The Griz play a total of five national TV Root Sports games this season, including its homecoming game against defending Big Sky champion North Dakota Oct. 14. That game will kick at 1 p.m. in Missoula. UM's final three games of the season are also on Root. The Griz host Northern Arizona at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 4 and Northern Colorado at 1 p.m. Nov. 11. The annual Brawl of the Wild, which is in Bozeman this year, will also be on Root.

As for the rest of UM's TV coverage, SWX Montana will carry four games, including Valparaiso, Savannah State and UM road games at Portland State Sept. 30 and Weber State Oct. 28. The Big Sky also has a new television partner in Eleven Sports, which is carrying 13 Big Sky games this season, and is available on DirecTV. The Griz will play at Idaho State Oct. 7 with Eleven broadcasting that game. UM's trip to Washington will be carried by the Pac 12 Network.

Every Bobcat game will also be televised this season, including six on national TV. MSU opens the campaign at Pac 12 power Washington State Sept. 2 and that game will be shown live nationally on FS1. The game is also the first of back-to-back night games for the Cats. Kickoff in Pullman is set for 7:30 M.S.T.,, and then MSU comes home to face FCS power South Dakota State in its annual Gold Rush Game Sept. 9. That game will kick at 6 p.m. in Bozeman. The Bobcats open Big Sky play a week later at UND, with a kick time of 1:30 p.m.

MSU will play four times on Root Sports ahead of the annual Cat-Griz game. The Cats host Weber State for homecoming Sept. 30 with kickoff set for 1:30 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. home game against Portland State Oct. 7. Other Root games include an Oct. 21 visit to Northern Colorado, an Oct. 28 home game against Idaho State (1:30 p.m.), and the annual Cat-Griz game, which kicks off at noon Nov. 18 in Bozeman. The SDSU game, as well as the UND game, and an Oct. 4 home game against Kennesaw State will be televised by SWX Montana. The Cats also play at Northern Arizona Nov. 11, with that game being televised on Eleven Sports. TV details for MSU's showdown with Eastern Washington,, set for Oct. 14 in Cheney, Wash., haven't been announced yet.

Montana and Montana State games will also be streamed live, with the exception of all games broadcast by Root Sports. The Big Sky recently announced a deal with Pluto TV to be a major broadcast partner of all Big Sky athletics. With Pluto TV, the Big Sky becomes the first mid-major conference with its own 24/7 linear "Over the Top" streaming channel available on all on almost any digital device including Apple TV, Roku, Xbox, smart TVs and more. Pluto TV is the leading free Internet-based TV service in America with more than 6 million active users per month. Streaming on WatchBigSky is also still available.

2017 Montana Grizzlies

9/2 vs Valparaiso 1 p.m. SWX

9/9 at Washington 6 p.m. Pac 12

9/16 vs Savannah State 1 p.m. SWX

9/23 vs Eastern Washington 6 p.m. Root

9/30 at Portland State 3 p.m. SWX

10/7 at Idaho State 2:30 p.m. Eleven

10/14 vs North Dakota 1 p.m. Root

10/28 at Weber State, 2 p.m. SWX

11/4 vs Northern Arizona 3:30 p.m. Root

11/11 vs Northern Colorado 1 p.m. Root

11/18 at Montana State, 12 p.m. Root

2017 Montana State Bobcats

9/2 at Washington State 7:30 p.m. FS1

9/9 vs South Dakota State 6 p.m. SWX

9/23 at North Dakota 1:30 p.m. SWX

9/30 vs Weber State 1:30 p.m. Root

10/7 vs Portland State 11 a.m. Root

10/14 at Eastern Washington 2 p.m. TBD

10/21 at Northern Colorado 12:30 p.m. Root

10/28 vs Idaho State 1:30 p.m. Root

11/4 vs Kennesaw State 12 p.m. SWX

11/11 at Northern Arizona 5 p.m. Eleven

11/18 vs Montana 12 p.m. Root

 

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