(Editor's note: University of Montana media release)
MISSOULA -- The Montana Grizzlies will host Central Washington on April 10 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula to open its modified spring season.
Montana was scheduled to face Central Washington at the start of the 2020 season and will now face the Wildcats to open its two-game modified spring schedule in 2021.
The game is contingent on approval by the Missoula County Health Department (MCHD) and will follow all NCAA guidelines and best practices for COVID testing.
Stadium capacity and ticketing option details for fans inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium are yet to be determined and will be contingent on approval from MCHD.
Broadcast details and kickoff time for the game will also be determined at a later date.
"We are excited to get a game on the spring schedule. I appreciate Central Washington being willing to come to Missoula, and we are hopeful we can find one more game. We still do not know what ticket sales or crowd size will look like, but will work with local health officials to develop a plan," said Kent Haslam, director of athletics.
"I am just happy our student-athletes will get a chance to compete, and we have more structure to our spring season."
Per the game contract, Montana will guarantee Central Washington $35,000 for its trip to Missoula, with no penalty should the game be canceled.
Central Washington finished the 2019 season at 7-4 overall and 5-1 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings, good enough to give the program its third-straight conference title. The Wildcats opened the year with a narrow 31-41 loss at Idaho and finished the season with six-straight wins. CWU led the GNAC in total offense with an average of 505 YPG that season, the eighth-most in all D-II football.
Montana last saw game action in the fall of 2019 as well, going 10-4 overall, 6-2 in Big Sky play, and a perfect 7-0 at home, and advancing to the FCS quarterfinals for the first time in a decade. Led by record-setting running back Marcus Knight and a stable of dynamic receivers, Montana was top-three in FCS football in first down offense and had the No. 11 scoring offense in the country.
Montana opted to play up to two games in a modified spring slate that falls more in-line with the traditional spring calendar, as opposed to a full six-game spring schedule.
