Why ESPN Should Bring College Gameday to Missoula

ESPN's "College Gameday" is a sensitive subject for those at the University of Montana. In 2021, the Griz put in the work to get college football's premier tailgate show to visit Missoula for the Brawl of the Wild. Instead of ESPN visiting Missoula in 2021, they turned around and went to Bozeman in 2022.

I remember that day like it was yesterday. I moved to Missoula about 2 weeks before, and I remember freezing in my poorly insulated apartment watching the Cats stick it to the Griz. The on-field shellacking was the final salt in the wound of the Griz.

ESPN now has a chance to right its wrong and come to Missoula this year.

Dear College Gameday, the Brawl of the Wild Is Waiting For You

We still have a lot of season left, but both Montana and Montana State should be favored in each of their games leading up to Cat-Griz on November 22. Upsets can happen, of course, but hypothetically speaking, Cat-Griz could be a showdown of undefeated Big Sky teams vying for a Conference Championship as nationally ranked top-3 teams.

It's going to be the most important FCS game of the week, and very well could be the premier game in ALL of college football. Looking at the FBS top 25 schedule for week 13 isn't the most stacked lineup you'll see.

USC (unranked right now) at #3 Oregon will be a possibility. Gameday, however, is going to Eugene this week for Ducks-Hoosiers, so will Gameday go back to Eugene twice in one year? USC could also remain unranked.

#12 Tennessee at Florida is another choice. The Gators just beat Texas, but remain unranked. That game could hold little significance if they're both out of an SEC title race.

#14 Missouri at #6 Oklahoma may be the frontrunner right now. BUT... OU's schedule is BRUTAL. The Sooners have Texas, #4 Ole Miss, #12 Tennessee and #8 Alabama. They could lose half of those games, thus rendering their Week 13 game against Mizzou meaningless.