Tester, Daines Lead Bipartisan Blitz on ESPN to Host College GameDay in Missoula for ‘Brawl of the Wild’

Senators urge ESPN to cover the 120th regular season meeting between the Bobcats and Grizzlies

With the clock winding down close to the two week warning, U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines today released a joint video statement challenging ESPN to host their ‘College GameDay’ program in Missoula for the 120th ‘Brawl of the Wild’ rivalry game between the Montana State University Bobcats and University of Montana Grizzlies on Saturday, November 20.

“There’s one thing we agree on, Jon, and that is for ESPN’s College GameDay, I think the best game’s going to be in Montana, the Brawl of the Wild,” said Daines.

“No doubt about it,” responded Tester. “It’s going to be in Missoula where the Grizzlies are going to take on the Bobcats, and I got a notion that it’s going to be one heck of a game guys. You’ve got to be there.”

ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ program occurs every Saturday during the college football regular season, and is almost always broadcast live from outside the stadium where the most important game of the week will be played. Despite being one of the longest standing rivalry games in college football, with the outcome consistently having significant postseason implications, the ‘Brawl of the Wild’ has never been featured on ‘College GameDay’ in its 28 years of on-site programming.

The Bobcats are currently ranked #4 in the national Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) rankings, with the Grizzlies trailing closely behind at #10. Both teams are members of the Big Sky Conference and are competing to make the FCS playoffs.

Montanans everywhere have chimed in across social media to encourage ESPN to host ‘College GameDay’ in Missoula using the hashtag ‘#GrizOnGameday,’ including notable University of Montana alumnus J.K. Simmons.