The Story Behind the "M"

The "M" is 620 feet above the Missoula Valley floor. It is 125' feet long and 100' feet wide. University of Montana forestry students cut the switchbacks into the side of the hill in the early 1900's. The first "M" was assembled out of whitewashed rocks in 1909, and given a fresh coat of paint by freshmen every year, until 1968, when all those rocks were cemented together with concrete.

Photo by Nelson Kenter, kenterphotography.com

Posts Tagged ‘Montana Basketball’

Griz Celebrate Seniors, Win Third Straight

The second-largest crowd of the year was treated to a fantastic finish as the Grizzlies pulled away for an 82-73 win over Portland State on Saturday.... more

Krystkowiak Enters Big Sky Hall of Fame

Larry Krystkowiak will be inducted into the Big Sky Conference Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 22. He becomes the second male athlete from Montana, joining former quarterback Dave Dickenson, and the first Griz H... more

Moody’s Career Night Leads Montana into Semifinal

Under the brightest lights possible, Aanen Moody delivered the best performance of his career to lead Montana to a quarterfinal win against Idaho State on Monday night.... more

Dahlberg Arena Floor to be Named Robin Selvig Court

The banner went up not long after Robin Selvig retired, recognition for 865 wins while coaching the Montana women’s basketball program from 1978-79 to 2015-16. It faces 23 banners on the other side of Dahl... more

Lady Griz Picked Second in Preseason Polls

The Lady Griz team was picked second in preseason polls behind Montana State, which was the heavy favorite by both the Big Sky coaches and media.... more

Men’s Basketball: Montana Picked Third in Big Sky Preseason Polls

The Montana men's basketball team, was selected third in both the coaches' and media polls, the Big Sky Conference announced Wednesday.... more

Montana’s 2022-23 Big Sky Slate Begins Dec. 29 vs Eastern Washington

The Big Sky Conference announced its 2022-23 men's basketball schedule on Thursday morning.... more

Big Sky Announces 2022-23 Women’s Basketball Schedule

he Big Sky Conference released the league’s women’s basketball schedule for the 2022-23 season on Wednesday morning.... more

Friday’s Griz Basketball Game Moved to 3pm Tip-Off

With Montana football advancing to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs against James Madison Friday night, Montana's basketball game that evening has been moved up to 3 p.m.... more

Holsinger Named Next Lady Griz Coach

Brian Holsinger, who has spent 13 seasons in the Pac-12 and has more than two decades of college coaching experience, has been named the next head coach of the Montana women’s basketball program.... more

Montana, Montana State Men’s Basketball Series Canceled

This week's two-game Big Sky Conference men's basketball series between Montana and Montana State has been canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test within Montana's program.... more

Montana Earns Upset Win Over Washington

It was a happy homecoming for head coach Travis DeCuire, who earned a 66-58 win over the Washington Huskies on Wednesday night.... more

Mick Holien, “Voice of the Griz” for a Generation, Remembered as One of “The Good Guys”

Grizzly Athletics plans to pay tribute to Holien in the fall of 2021 when the fans he cared for so much are once again able to pack into Washington-Grizzly Stadium and Dahlberg Arena.... more

Men’s Basketball Garners Academic Honors From NABC

The Montana men's basketball team was recognized for its academic merit earning the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award for the third time in the past five seasons.... more

Big Sky Conference to Re-Air Several Griz Basketball Games This Week on Pluto TV

Montana fans can get their basketball fix this week, with the Big Sky Conference announcing it will re-air 15 recent basketball games on Pluto TV (channel 530).... more

Griz Football Classics Set For Re-Air on ROOT Sports & SWX

Montana's 1995 National Championship win over Marshall is set to highlight a 31-game slate of Big Sky Conference classic football game re-broadcasts on ROOT Sports and SWX Montana.... more

Bears Spoil Grizzlies’ Control of 1st Place

By NIC HALLISEY - The Bears handed Montana a 71-64 loss on Thursday night, severely damaging Montana's chance to win a third consecutive regular-season championship.... more

Seniors Lead Montana to Another Brawl of the Wild Victory

Montana capped a decade of dominance against Montana State on Saturday, winning for the 19th time in the past 20 meetings.... more

Pridgett Earns Big Sky Player-of-the-Week Honors Once Again

After averaging 24.5 points per game, including a near-triple-double vs. Idaho State, Sayeed Pridgett was a no-brainer to be named the Big Sky Conference Ready Nutrition Player of the Week.... more

Offensive Uptick Leading Grizzlies, Who Host Weber State and Idaho State This Week

Back in first place following three consecutive rivalry wins, Montana will now bring its league-leading record back to Missoula, where the Grizzlies will host Weber State (Thursday) and Idaho State (Saturday).... more

Montana Lets Lead Slip Away at Weber State

By NIC HALLISEY - Montana led for all but 2 minutes of regulation, including by seven points with under 2 minutes to play, before Weber State closed the period on an 8-1 run to force overtime.  ... more

Montana Holds On at Idaho State

By NIC HALLISEY - It wasn't easy, but at the end of the night, Montana is 7-1 in Big Sky Conference play following another victory on the road.... more

Samuelson Lifts Montana Over Idaho for 1,000th Home Win

Montana is 6-1 to open Big Sky Conference play following a 67-63 home victory over Idaho on Saturday night. The victory was the 1,000th home win in program history.... more

Carter-Hollinger Tabbed as Big Sky Player of the Week

NIC HALLISEY - On Tuesday, it was Derrick Carter-Hollinger's turn in the spotlight. The freshman averaged 16.5 points per game on an incredible .789 shooting (15-of-19), in addition to 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 block... more

Manuel’s Clutch Free Throws Lift Grizzlies to Slugfest Wim over Hornets

Tied at 50-50 with 5.2 seconds to play, Montana inbounded the ball with the intention to run a cross, hoping to find a backdoor cut down low, or somehow get to the rim.  ... more

Montana Returns Home With Clean Slate

By NIC HALLISEY - The first seven weeks of Montana's 2019-20 basketball campaign featured several ups and downs.... more

Orediggers Stun Grizzlies in Missoula

By NIC HALLISEY - Montana head coach Travis DeCuire didn't like the urgency his team had been playing with lately, and it showed on Monday as the Grizzlies fell to Montana Tech, 74-72.  ... more

Pridgett Lifts Grizzlies Past Lights

By NIC HALLISEY - Montana earned its first victory of the season, pulling out a 64-50 win over MSU Northern on Sunday afternoon.... more

Griz and Lady Griz Hold Maroon & Silver Scrimmage and 3-Point Competition on 10/22

By NIC HALLISEY - Griz fans will have their first opportunity to watch the 2019-20 Montana men's and women'sbasketball teams on Tuesday, as they hold their annual Maroon & Silver Scrimmage.... more

Montana, DeCuire Agree to New 3-Year Contract

By NIC HALLISEY - The University of Montana announced on Monday a new contract for head basketball coach Travis DeCuire.... more

Historic Season Comes to a Close in NCAA Tournament

By NIC HALLISEY - The Grizzlies never quit, but Michigan showed why it is was deserving of a No. 2 seed, defeating Montana, 74-55, in the first round of the NCAA tournament.... more

Montana, Michigan Paired Up Once Again

By NIC HALLISEY - Montana is headed back to the NCAA tournament, and it will begin Thursday vs. a familiar opponent.... more

Time to Celebrate the Seniors, Saturday vs. Southern Utah

By NIC HALLISEY - Saturday isn't the end of the road or even the team's last home game of the season. But it will be the night Montana will celebrate its tremendous senior class.... more

Win Streak Snapped at 10 Games

By NIC HALLISEY - A winning streak that began 44 days ago at Northern Colorado ended against the same Bears team on Monday night.... more

Griz Run Win Streak to 10 With Victory Over Bobcats

By NIC HALLISEY - Montana earned yet another season sweep over rival MSU on Saturday night, leading from start to finish with a sold-out crowd.... more

Montana Looks to Extend Streak vs. Montana State

By NIC HALLISEY - With three weeks to play in the regular season, Montana has hit the home stretch and is in a good spot with six games remaining.... more

Griz Use 2 Big Runs to Bounce Bengals

By NIC HALLISEY - Montana closed the first half on an 18-3 run, making 10 consecutive shots at one point, to overcome an early deficit on the road.... more

Pridgett’s big night leads Grizzlies to sweep over Wildcats

By NIC HALLISEY - With the game on the line and under a minute to play, it was Sayeed Pridgett who scored the game-winning basket.... more

A Note From Griz Basketball

Tomorrow we play E Washington in a rematch of last year’s Big Sky Conference championship. THIS GAME IS HUGE and we need YOU to pack Dahlberg.... more

Montana Picked to Repeat as Big Sky Champions

By NIC HALLISEY - The Grizzlies were picked to repeat as Big Sky Conference champions in 2019, earning a near-unanimous selection.... more

Grizzlies Focused On September, Not March, As They Hit Court

Nic Hallisey - Montana hit the court for its first official practice of 2018-19 on Friday afternoon, and with four starters and more than 80 percent of its statistical leaders returning.... more

Fatkin to Join Lady Griz

By JOEL CARLSON - Ranked as the nation’s 30th-best point guard in her class by ESPN.com, Sammy Fatkin had options.... more

Graduation Weekened Means Diploma and Pro Contract For Krslovic

By NIC HALLISEY - When Fabijan Krslovic traveled 8,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean in the summer of 2014, he wasn't quite sure what to expect.... more

Montana Wins Big Sky Tournament, Punches Ticket to Big Dance

By NIC HALLISEY - Montana added another chapter to its storybook season on Saturday night, defeating Eastern Washington to punch its ticket to the NCAA tournament.... more

Lady Griz Fall to Top Seed Bears

In the end it was simple math more than anything else that ended Montana's season on Wednesday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky Conference tournament.... more

Lady Griz Take No. 8 Seed to Reno

The Lady Griz will take the No. 8 seed into this year's tournament at Reno and will face No. 9 Sacramento State on Monday at 1 p.m. in a first-round game.... more

Montana Closes Regular Season Undefeated at Home

By NIC HALLISEY - Montana capped an historic regular season on Saturday evening, defeating Idaho State, 75-64, inside Dahlberg Arena.... more

Grizzlies Thump Bocats & Clinch Share of Big Sky Title

By NIC HALLISEY - Montana got back to its winning ways in dominant fashion on Saturday night, knocking off rival Montana State, 90-63.... more

Krslovic Carries Montana to 10th Consecutive Win

By NIC HALLISEY - Montana stretched its win streak to double digits on Thursday, knocking off Northern Colorado, 88-79.... more

Bobcats Knock Off Lady Griz 81-64

The Bobcats knocked down 11, 3-pointers and hustled their way a 81-64 victory over the Lady Griz Saturday night in Bozeman.... more