BOZEMAN — It's been 50 years since Montana State football's second national championship win.
The team returned to Bozeman to celebrate with the 2025 championship team during this year's Gold Rush game.
Watch the video here:
A co-captain and middle linebacker of the 1976 team, Tim Nixon, was among those who attended the reunion.
"This is nice to be here because there's only been four teams that have made this accomplishment before," Nixon said. "It's a privilege and an honor to be with these guys, to see my team from '76. It's very special."
Nixon's co-captain, center Bert Markovich, said the response to the reunion was incredible.
"There's 40 to 50 guys here out of a team of about 80," Markovich said. "It's been wonderful. It's 50 years, it goes fast as everybody says."
Markovich said his teammates all picked up right where they were as Bobcats.
"There's something about this team," Markovich said. "It wasn't full of superstars (or) ego guys. It was full of teammates that were good people (who) liked each other. We had fun, worked hard and it was just a lovely experience that we all treasure."
The 50 year anniversary celebration served as inspiration for current Bobcat players, like defensive tackle Zack Black.
"I think it's pretty sweet," Black said. "It's what we're going to be doing in 50 odd years or whatever. Me and Taco (Dowler) will be crippled walking into the stadium trying to celebrate that thing we did last year.
"But it's cool to see the camaraderie that you build over a career here and the lifelong friendships and the lessons that you always get to keep with you," Black said.
To honor the 1976 team's victory, the late Max Worthington, of the 1929 Golden Bobcats basketball team, gave two of his letter sweaters to Nixon and Markovich with the idea that the tradition would live on for each Bobcat championship win in the coming years.
The '76 team passed the sweaters on to the 1984 team after its national championship win, and the tradition continued this weekend with graduated members of the 2025 receiving one of the letter sweaters in a frame.
Now Markovich says the '76 team is paying it forward in their own way as well.
"We're not here reliving the past. We are here to express the gratitude that we had to play for coach (Sonny) Holland on this special team, to achieve what we achieved," Markovich said. "We're going to start a scholarship endowment that we're going to fund ourselves. To fund this for more Bobcat football players in the future so they can have the same experience that we did."
Bobcats coach Brent Vigen said that group is an example of putting your money where your mouth is.
"You say it's important to you," Vigen said. "Well, they're showing it in a lot of different ways."
