DENVER — The spirit of the NCAA tournament was alive and well at Rock Bottom Brewing here late Wednesday as the University of Montana held an alumni event for fans to celebrate the Grizzlies before they take on Wisconsin in the first round Thursday.
"We were outside and we had all of our pep band people and people screaming from their trucks, 'Go Griz! Go Griz!'" UM junior and pep band member Kendall Boehm said. "And seeing everyone here, happy to be here. It's fun all being here together and just cheering for our team."
Wednesday was a UM celebration with the pep band and dance team performing for alumni and more in Colorado.
Most there hail from Montana and now call Colorado home, and they weren't going to miss their chance to see their Griz.
"Very excited. I think the opportunity to see the Griz, especially in our hometown is something I always take advantage of," UM alum and Billings native Mark McCue said. "I went to the (FCS) national championship game last year and when I get that chance I take it."
Former players were in attendance too, including Riley Bradshaw, who was also a grad assistant when the Griz went to the tournament in 2018.
"I think there's just a certain energy about the NCAA tournament and when you make that run I think it's just like a special experience," said Bradshaw, a Corvallis native. "It feels different, the energy is different, so yeah it's a pretty cool experience."
For some, the excitement and experience made putting life on hold a little easy. Even Monte the mascot was roaming, playing with kids and taking photos with alumni.
"It is insane. It is so crazy," Boehm said. "I got the offer and all my shifts from work, gone, I gave them all away. I wanted to come here so bad I'm so excited to be here."
Those there appreciated their time at UM and carry memories with fondness.
"Going to the University of Montana made me who I am today," McCue said. "The culture, the diversity, it just made me kind of a better human being. I learned a lot there but then I also learned about life, too."
The event lasted a few hours as everyone got pumped up for Thursday's game, and Montana aims to make history, and even more memories for the Griz faithful.
"Being here you get a little, oh, I'm part of something really big here and it's really cool to be part of the team because it's like, we're Griz," Boehm said. "We're all together. It's not just basketball, we're all here together supporting."
