MISSOULA — The Montana and Montana State football teams will take center stage in Las Vegas in the coming years.
ESPN Events announced Monday that the Bobcats will be featured in the 2027 Vegas Kickoff Classic inside Allegiant Stadium and the Grizzlies will play in the event in 2029. Montana State will face North Dakota State, and Montana will meet South Dakota State.
“We’re thrilled to have Montana, Montana State and Big Sky football showcased on ESPN as part of the Vegas Kickoff Classic,” Big Sky commissioner Tom Wistrcill said. “Labor Day Weekend is one of college football’s great traditions, and these games will demonstrate that the FCS can deliver marquee matchups in world-class destinations like Las Vegas, while creating a one-of-a-kind experience for our fans.”
Both games will be rematches of recent FCS championship bouts. NDSU defeated MSU to cap the 2021 and 2024 seasons, and SDSU beat UM in the 2023 title game.
The Vegas Kickoff Classic is owned and operated by ESPN. Exact game dates, times and networks will be announced at a later date, but both games will be on Labor Day Weekend. The Bobcats and Bison will precede a previously announced matchup between Miami (Fla.) and Utah on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2027.
The Vegas Kickoff Classic has already seen a pair exciting matchups in its short history. In 2021 BYU beat Arizona 24-16 in the first edition of the game. No. 23 USC beat No. 13 LSU 27-20 in front of a record 63,969 fans to open the 2024 season as well.
“Labor Day, Las Vegas, college football — it’s the perfect trifecta to celebrate the start of the season,” ESPN Vice President of Events Clint Overby said in a news release. “Las Vegas continues to attract high-caliber events, and ESPN is proud to work with these great programs and our local partners to kick off the upcoming seasons.”
“After the record-breaking success of our season-opening game last year, it is exciting to announce these future matchups featuring brand-new markets for us with famously passionate fanbases,” said John Saccenti, executive director of the Vegas Kickoff Classic and Las Vegas Bowl. “We look to make this an annual event and we are already working on more matchups to announce.”
