Montana's NCAA Journey Begins Now

Basketball in Montana Isn't Over Yet

The Big Sky basketball championship delivered for Montana, with the Grizzlies and Lady Bobcats earning tickets to the Big Dance. Despite clinching conference crowns, they’re entering as underdogs, destined to fight tooth and claw for advancement. March Madness 2025 will start with Montana in the spotlight.

Read more about the path to the Big Dance: UPDATE: Brawl of the Wild in Big Sky Championship

Montana Grizzlies

(Ryan Brennecke/University of Montana)

The Grizzlies had a rough start to the year, going 2-3 in their first five matchups (granted they lost to Oregon and #11 Tennessee, but it's never easy to start the year on a losing streak). They managed to right the ship for conference play though, going 15-3 and earning a share of the regular season conference title before moving past Northern Colorado for the win in the Big Sky Tournament. The Selection Committee didn’t give the champions an easy road though, handing them the #14 seed and pitting them against a 26-9, #3 Wisconsin who’s coming off of a loss to Michigan in the Big-10 title game. SportsBet has the Grizzlies at a +16.5 underdog at the time of writing. They’ll play at 11:30 AM, March 20, on TNT.

Montana State Lady Bobcats

(Photo by Bobcat Creative)

Coming off of a close, buzzer-beating win against the Grizzlies in the Big Sky Conference Championship, the Lady Bobcats will look to stir the pot in Ohio. The Ladies started off the season going 8-2, including comfortable wins over UCF and East Carolina. Although the close Battle of the Wild may have shaken their confidence, the Lady Bobcats tout a 30-3 (17-1) record and the Big Sky Tournament crown as they strut into the Big Dance. #3 Ohio State won’t let them off easy though, as the 25-6 Buckeyes have a -13.5 advantage over the Bobcats. I believe the Lady Cats can make a Cinderella run, but it’ll have to come on the defensive end of the ball. Tipoff is at 3:30 PM, March 21 on ESPN2.

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With athleticism working against the two Montana teams, coaching will be more important than ever. The Grizzlies will hope to avoid a repeat of their 2012 run, where they faced off and lost to Wisconsin 73-49. Lucky #13 may come into play, as the Griz play in their 13th March Madness appearance. Montana State Lady Bobcats will see their 4th appearance in program history, looking to add the first breadstick into the winning column.