# 2026 Montana State Bobcats football team
The **2026 Montana State Bobcats football team** represents [Montana State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/montana-state-university) in the 2026 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the [Big Sky Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/big-sky-conference). The Bobcats enter the season as defending national champions, having beaten Illinois State 35-34 in overtime on January 5, 2026 in the first FCS title game decided in overtime, and they opened the year ranked No. 1 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll with all 57 first-place votes.[1](https://theanalyst.com/articles/fcs-top-25-preseason-poll-montana-state-football-2026) Brent Vigen returns as head coach.[2](https://msubobcats.com/sports/football/coaches)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Conference | Big Sky Conference; nine-game league schedule with four home games and five on the road[3](https://msubobcats.com/news/2025/10/28/football-bobcats-face-four-game-big-sky-home-slate-in-2026) |
| Head coach | Brent Vigen[2](https://msubobcats.com/sports/football/coaches) |
| Preseason ranking | Unanimous No. 1 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll, collecting all 57 first-place votes[1](https://theanalyst.com/articles/fcs-top-25-preseason-poll-montana-state-football-2026) |
| Entering streak | 14-game winning streak, the national high, after a 14-2 championship season[1](https://theanalyst.com/articles/fcs-top-25-preseason-poll-montana-state-football-2026) |
| Season opener | Won 54-0 at Utah Tech on August 29, the most points by any Bobcat team opening a season on the road[4](https://d134e8ggzdi51g.cloudfront.net/news/2026/8/29/football-bobcats-toss-shutout-at-utah-tech-in-season-opener) |
| Record through October 2 | 5-1 overall, 2-1 in Big Sky play, after a 34-35 loss at Idaho[5](https://msubobcats.com/sports/football/schedule/text/index.aspx) |
| Regular-season finale | Home against Montana on November 21 at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman[3](https://msubobcats.com/news/2025/10/28/football-bobcats-face-four-game-big-sky-home-slate-in-2026) |
## Background: defending champions
Montana State closed the 2025 season with a 14-2 record and its first FCS national title decided in overtime, beating Illinois State 35-34 when Myles Sansted's extra point went through the uprights in the extra period.[1](https://theanalyst.com/articles/fcs-top-25-preseason-poll-montana-state-football-2026) • [6](https://slite.dma.mil/issues/jan2026/20260106.pdf) That championship run included two wins over in-state rival Montana in a four-week span, a 31-28 road victory in the regular-season finale and a 48-23 win in the playoffs.[6](https://slite.dma.mil/issues/jan2026/20260106.pdf) • [4](https://d134e8ggzdi51g.cloudfront.net/news/2026/8/29/football-bobcats-toss-shutout-at-utah-tech-in-season-opener)
The Bobcats carried a 14-game winning streak into 2026, tied to the national high, and returned much of their nucleus, including a national-high eight preseason All-Americans.[1](https://theanalyst.com/articles/fcs-top-25-preseason-poll-montana-state-football-2026) Montana, which lost to Montana State in a national semifinal, began the season at No. 2, with the Big Sky claiming four spots in the preseason Top 25.[1](https://theanalyst.com/articles/fcs-top-25-preseason-poll-montana-state-football-2026)
## Schedule and conference changes
The Big Sky released its 2026 composite football schedule on October 28, 2025, featuring the return of Southern Utah and the addition of Utah Tech as a first-year league member.[3](https://msubobcats.com/news/2025/10/28/football-bobcats-face-four-game-big-sky-home-slate-in-2026) The conference revised the 2026 slate because the NCAA added an extra week to the football calendar and two new league members joined.[7](https://gogriz.com/news/2025/10/28/football-2026-griz-football-schedule-finalized)
**A schedule of rivals and first-time foes.** Montana State's 2026 season opens with a conference road game at Utah Tech in [St. George, Utah](https://www.edgepedia.org/st-george-utah), and closes with the Bobcat-Grizzly game in Bozeman.[3](https://msubobcats.com/news/2025/10/28/football-bobcats-face-four-game-big-sky-home-slate-in-2026) The non-conference portion includes Butler on September 5 and Central Connecticut State on September 19, sandwiched around a September 12 trip to Nevada, a Mountain West member.[3](https://msubobcats.com/news/2025/10/28/football-bobcats-face-four-game-big-sky-home-slate-in-2026) Butler and CCSU appear on a Montana State schedule for the first time in 2026, while the Cats had faced Utah Tech four times previously.[3](https://msubobcats.com/news/2025/10/28/football-bobcats-face-four-game-big-sky-home-slate-in-2026)
Several matchups carry long histories. Nevada and the Bobcats competed as Big Sky rivals from 1979 to 1991; Northern Colorado and Idaho State battled Montana State in the Rocky Mountain Conference until 1956; and Idaho, Idaho State, and Weber State all joined the Bobcats and Montana as Big Sky charter members.[3](https://msubobcats.com/news/2025/10/28/football-bobcats-face-four-game-big-sky-home-slate-in-2026) In league play the Cats host Northern Arizona, Weber State, Cal Poly, and Montana, and visit Utah Tech, Idaho, Eastern Washington, Idaho State, and Northern Colorado.[3](https://msubobcats.com/news/2025/10/28/football-bobcats-face-four-game-big-sky-home-slate-in-2026)
## Games played
**At Utah Tech (August 29, won 54-0).** Montana State turned in big plays in every phase in the season opener, returning a blocked punt and an interception for touchdowns. [Justin Lamson](https://www.edgepedia.org/justin-lamson) was 22 of 30 for 260 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, and junior receiver Dane Steel caught eight passes for 174 yards and a score. The 54 points were the most by any Bobcat team opening a season on the road, and the team's fourth-most points in any season opener.[4](https://d134e8ggzdi51g.cloudfront.net/news/2026/8/29/football-bobcats-toss-shutout-at-utah-tech-in-season-opener) Utah Tech gained just 85 yards in the first half.[4](https://d134e8ggzdi51g.cloudfront.net/news/2026/8/29/football-bobcats-toss-shutout-at-utah-tech-in-season-opener)
**Vs. Butler (September 5, won 51-24).** Justin Lamson tossed a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another in front of a sold-out Gold Rush crowd of 22,277 at Bobcat Stadium. The win was the program-record 16th straight dating back to the championship campaign; [Taco Dowler](https://www.edgepedia.org/taco-dowler) caught five passes in the game.[8](https://d134e8ggzdi51g.cloudfront.net/news/2026/9/5/football-bobcats-roll-in-annual-gold-rush)
**At Nevada (September 12, won 20-7).** The Bobcats beat the FBS Wolf Pack in Reno to reach 3-0.[5](https://msubobcats.com/sports/football/schedule/text/index.aspx)
**Vs. Central Connecticut State (September 19, won 35-30).** Montana State improved to 4-0 with a five-point home win over the Blue Devils.[5](https://msubobcats.com/sports/football/schedule/text/index.aspx)
**Vs. Northern Arizona (September 26, won 28-14).** The Bobcats' offense debuted a new look, with a quarterback other than Justin Lamson taking the first snap of a game for the Cats because of injuries; Patrick Duchien started. The team also wore a new uniform under the lights of ESPN2.[9](https://d134e8ggzdi51g.cloudfront.net/news/2026/9/26/football-bobcat-game-day-notebook-5-cats-field-different-look-due-to-injuries) Montana State won 28-14 to move to 5-0.[5](https://msubobcats.com/sports/football/schedule/text/index.aspx)
**At Idaho (October 2, lost 34-35).** Idaho scored a fourth-quarter comeback win over Montana State in Moscow, ending the Bobcats' winning streak and dropping them to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play.[5](https://msubobcats.com/sports/football/schedule/text/index.aspx) • [3](https://msubobcats.com/news/2025/10/28/football-bobcats-face-four-game-big-sky-home-slate-in-2026)
## Remaining schedule
After an open date on October 10, the Bobcats play five more regular-season games, all against Big Sky opponents, before closing at home against Montana on November 21.[3](https://msubobcats.com/news/2025/10/28/football-bobcats-face-four-game-big-sky-home-slate-in-2026) • [5](https://msubobcats.com/sports/football/schedule/text/index.aspx)
| Date | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 17 | at Eastern Washington | Roos Field, Cheney, WA[5](https://msubobcats.com/sports/football/schedule/text/index.aspx) |
| Oct 24 | vs Weber State | Bobcat Stadium, Bozeman[5](https://msubobcats.com/sports/football/schedule/text/index.aspx) |
| Oct 31 | vs Cal Poly | Bobcat Stadium, Bozeman[5](https://msubobcats.com/sports/football/schedule/text/index.aspx) |
| Nov 7 | at Idaho State | Pocatello, ID[5](https://msubobcats.com/sports/football/schedule/text/index.aspx) |
| Nov 14 | at Northern Colorado | Greeley, CO[5](https://msubobcats.com/sports/football/schedule/text/index.aspx) |
| Nov 21 | vs Montana | Bobcat Stadium, Bozeman[5](https://msubobcats.com/sports/football/schedule/text/index.aspx) |
## Rankings through early October
Montana State held the No.
## References
1. [Defending National Champ Montana State a Unanimous No. 1 in FCS Preseason Top 25 Poll, Opta Analyst (Aug 3, 2026)](https://theanalyst.com/articles/fcs-top-25-preseason-poll-montana-state-football-2026)
2. [2026 Football Coaches, Montana State University Athletics](https://msubobcats.com/sports/football/coaches)
3. [Bobcats Face Four-Game Big Sky Home Slate in 2026, Montana State University Athletics (Oct 28, 2025)](https://msubobcats.com/news/2025/10/28/football-bobcats-face-four-game-big-sky-home-slate-in-2026)
4. [Bobcats Toss Shutout at Utah Tech in Season Opener, Montana State University Athletics (Aug 29, 2026)](https://d134e8ggzdi51g.cloudfront.net/news/2026/8/29/football-bobcats-toss-shutout-at-utah-tech-in-season-opener)
5. [2026 Football Schedule, Montana State University Athletics](https://msubobcats.com/sports/football/schedule/text/index.aspx)
6. [STRIPES LITE, Tuesday, January 6, 2026](https://slite.dma.mil/issues/jan2026/20260106.pdf)
7. [2026 Griz football schedule finalized, University of Montana Athletics (Oct 28, 2025)](https://gogriz.com/news/2025/10/28/football-2026-griz-football-schedule-finalized)
8. [Bobcats roll in annual Gold Rush, Montana State University Athletics (Sep 5, 2026)](https://d134e8ggzdi51g.cloudfront.net/news/2026/9/5/football-bobcats-roll-in-annual-gold-rush)
9. [BOBCAT GAME DAY NOTEBOOK #5: Cats Field Different Look Due to Injuries, Montana State University Athletics (Sep 26, 2026)](https://d134e8ggzdi51g.cloudfront.net/news/2026/9/26/football-bobcat-game-day-notebook-5-cats-field-different-look-due-to-injuries)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › College, minor, and international American football › College football programs › 2026 season articles › FCS team season articles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license