MISSOULA — When Missoulians think of Red's Bar, they may think of a hot spot to watch a Montana Grizzly football game.
And they'd be right.
But the building in which the bar sits is owned by one of the biggest Montana State supporters in Missoula, and she has been a fan for over 84 years.
Among a sea of Montana fans, Carma Gilligan sticks out like a sore thumb when she is decked out in Bobcat gear and ringing her cowbell during football season.
“I'm here at Red's for 20 years watching the game and I ring my bell if we have a touchdown,” Gilligan said. “A lot of times I'm the only Cat fan here, but I'm the loudest.”
However, even the Griz fans can appreciate Gilligan’s fandom, because her family's roots with Montana State go back to the very beginning.
“I come from a long history of being a Cat fan,” Gilligan said. “My grandfather and his five brothers made up the first Bobcat team in Butte in 1898.”
With a long family history at Montana State, Gilligan has witnessed many highs and lows through decades of fandom.
"I was raised in Bozeman, so I was a Cat fan and my grandparents lived there, so it was important,” Gilligan said. “I was the only one who went to the university here (in Missoula) for a long time, out of the 21 cousins."
Now after watching Montana State go undefeated so far in 2024 season, Gilligan has secured tickets to Frisco, Texas, and she has a simple prediction for the national championship game against North Dakota State.
“They're going to win, of course,” Gilligan said.
The championship game between MSU and NDSU kicks off from Toyota Stadium at 5 p.m. Mountain time on Monday. It will be broadcast on ESPN.
