Montana State exhibits ultimate sportsmanship by donating $3,000 to rival Montana for marching band to reach FCS championship game

Despite being fierce rivals on the gridiron, Montana State is extending a helping hand to Montana for their upcoming FCS championship game. The Bobcats finished the season with an 8-4 overall campaign (6-2 in the Big Sky). However, the Montana Grizzlies finished the season with a 13-1 overall record (7-1 in the Big Sky) and are set to face South Dakota State for the FCS championship.

Now, Montana State is chipping in to provide monetary help to their conference rivals the Grizzlies to help their marching band make its way to the FCS championship game. The university posted on social media on Thursday that it is donating $3,000 to the Montana Grizzlies so that the marching band will be able to travel to Frisco to cheer on their team in the showdown against South Dakota:

"Our marching bands work tirelessly to cheer on our teams and fill our fans with spirit! We stand together as one Montana community. MSU is wishing you all the best in Frisco!", Montana State said.

The Grizzlies are making their way to their third FCS Championship game next month. They went on to defeat North Dakota 31-29 earlier this month to secure their spot in the championship game against the Jackrabbits.

South Dakota emerged as the FCS champions in the previous season and will now be fighting for a chance to be crowned as back-to-back champion winners. They went on to compile a 14-0 undefeated campaign (8-0 in Missouri Valley) and will now be looking forward to improving on this record and securing another trophy in their cabinet.

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Details of Montana vs South Dakota FCS championship game

The Jackrabbits and the Grizzlies will face each other on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. It is scheduled to kick off at around 2:00 p.m. ET and will be hosted at the Toyota Stadium in Frisco. This will be the 14th FCS championship game being held at Frisco.

It will be interesting to see if the Grizzlies can overcome South Dakota and emerge as the new FCS champions. Fans can catch the game live from the comfort of their homes. It will be broadcast on the ABC network on television.