MISSOULA — The NCAA Division I Council this week adopted legislation establishing regular-season game limits in FCS football and men's and women's basketball.
The council announced Wednesday that the first contest date for FCS football will change, starting in the 2026 season, to enable FCS programs to compete in 12 regular-season games every year. Going forward, the regular season will start 13 weeks before the FCS championship selections date.
Both Montana and Montana State played 12 regular-season games last fall and will again this year. The Bobcats begin their season Aug. 30 at Oregon and then have three home nonconference games before starting their Big Sky Conference schedule on Sept. 27 against Eastern Washington. MSU has an open week Oct. 18.
The Grizzlies kick off their season with a home game against Central Washington on Sept. 6. They play 12 consecutive weeks, including a nonconference game against Sacred Heart on Oct. 18 in the midst of UM's Big Sky slate.
The 2025 FCS playoffs begin Nov. 29, and the championship game is Jan. 5, 2026, in Nashville.
In basketball, teams will be limited to a 32-game maximum regular-season schedule beginning with the 2026-27 seasons. Previously, programs could schedule 28 games with an additional three-game, multiple-team event (MTE), for a maximum of 31 games. Teams could also choose to schedule 29 games with a two-game MTE or 29 regular-season games without an MTE included.
The new legislation removes the MTE requirements, and teams will not be required to schedule 32 games.
During the 2024-25 season, both the Montana and Montana State men played 31 regular-season games and hosted MTEs. The Bobcat women played 30 regular-season games, and the Lady Griz played 29.
None of the four programs have released their 2025-26 schedules.
