4:34 AM, Nov. 21, 2011
Montana and Montana State both made the playoff field and both will be home for games on Dec. 3.
And two weeks later there just might be a Cat-Griz rematch.
The Football Championship Subdivision playoff field was announced Sunday morning, and co-Big Sky Conference champions from Montana and Montana State were both selected. The Grizzlies hammered the Bobcats 36-10 last Saturday in the 111th Bobcat-Grizzly game in Bozeman. Both teams are 9-2 on the season.
On Sunday, the Grizzlies were awarded one of the five available seeds in the 20-team FCS playoff field. Montana will play the winner of this week's first-round clash between Tennessee Tech (7-3) and Central Arkansas (8-3). Montana will play host to that game at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
Meanwhile, Montana State was among the 12 playoff teams that received first-round byes. The Bobcats will take on New Hampshire (8-3), which also received a bye, on Dec. 3 at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman.
The Cats and Griz are both on the same side of the bracket and could potentially meet in the semifinals, the weekend of Dec. 16-17. That game would be at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
The FCS national championship game is Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas.
Montana's victory over Montana State last Saturday made for a co-championship, since both teams finished at 7-1 in Big Sky play. The Grizzlies, though, earned the league's automatic playoff spot while the Bobcats were awarded an at-large berth.
In the final The Sports Network poll, Montana was ranked No. 5 while Montana State was No. 7. Sam Houston State (11-0) was No. 1.
New Hampshire (No. 11), Tennessee Tech (No. 21) and Central Arkansas (No. 15) were also nationally ranked in the final TSN poll.
Game times for the Grizzlies' and Bobcats' games Dec. 3 should be determined some time today. First and second round games are not nationally televised, but they are available on ESPN3, which is ESPN's online platform.
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