(Editor's note: Montana State Athletics release.)
BOZEMAN — Montana State hosts a pair of night games among its six home contests in 2023, the Bobcat football program announced on Monday.
The Cats open with three September home games and close its Bobcat Stadium schedule with November tilts against Northern Arizona (Nov. 4 at 1 p.m.) and Eastern Washington (Nov. 11 at 1 p.m.). Montana State opens the 2023 season with the Gold Rush game against Utah Tech (formerly Dixie State) on Sept. 2 at 6 pm.
Stetson of the Pioneer Football League visits Bobcat Stadium for a Sept. 16 tilt at 1 p.m., and Portland State comes calling for Homecoming on Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. Cal Poly stands as the team’s lone October home game, visiting on the Oct. 14 for a 6 p.m. kickoff.
While MSU’s 2023 home schedule offers compelling matchups, the road schedule brings a high degree of difficulty. All five of MSU’s road opponents in 2022 show up in the top 15 of preseason polls released to this point, including defending FCS national champion South Dakota State.
That game, MSU's road opener, begins at 5 p.m. Mountain time on Sept. 9. The Cats play a night game at Weber State on Sept. 23 to open Big Sky Conference play, and the Sacramento State game at 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 airs on ESPN2. The only MSU game without a kickoff time assigned is its visit to Idaho on Oct. 28. The traditional regular-season finale Cat-Griz clash is a noon kickoff on Nov. 18 in Missoula.
Following is the full schedule, with kickoff times and broadcast information:
2023 Montana State football schedule
All times Mountain
Sept. 2: Utah Tech, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Sept. 9: at South Dakota State, 5 p.m., Montana Television Network
Sept. 16: Stetson, 1 p.m., ESPN+
Sept. 23: at Weber State, 6 p.m., Montana Television Network
Sept. 30: Portland State, 2 p.m., Montana Television Network
Oct. 7: Bye
Oct. 14: Cal Poly, 6 p.m. Montana Television Network
Oct. 21: at Sacramento State, 8:30 p.m., ESPN2
Oct. 28: at Idaho, TBA, Montana Television Network
Nov. 4: Northern Arizona, 1 p.m. Montana Television Network
Nov. 11: Eastern Washington, 1 p.m., Montana Television Network
Nov. 18: at Montana, 12 p.m., Montana Television Network
