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University of Montana officials told Missoula's businesses community Monday they want to bid for the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision national title game in 2010.

University administrators and athletic officials presented the idea in a late-afternoon meeting with representatives of the Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce, Missoula Convention and Visitors Bureau, Mayor John Engen and others gathered at the Canyon Club, atop Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

UM's stadium can compete well with other FCS venues, they said.

The FSC national championship game has been held in Chattanooga, Tenn., since 1997, but that city's contract ends this year. The deadline to submit bids to host the 2010 championship game is October. A handful of schools and municipalities have already expressed interest in hosting the event, including Chattanooga, said Chuck Maes, assistant athletic director.

If UM were to move forward, several challenges have already been identified. Raising enough money in a relatively short amount of time is among the largest.

Missoula's business community would have to raise as much as $300,000 by October. That's the profit UM suspects Missoula would need to guarantee the NCAA for its bid to be competitive. A financial institution would need to guarantee at least 75 percent of that amount before UM could even submit a bid.

The university cannot financially contribute to that expense, as it operates on tax dollars and tuition money, said executive vice president Jim Foley. However, it's willing to facilitate the bid process and, if successful, oversee preparations for hosting.

The $300,000 guarantee would come in addition to several required facility upgrades. The stadium would need temporary lighting, as the game would likely occur at night. That could run as much as $100,000, Maes said. The press box and visiting locker room might also need upgrades.

The NCAA not only runs the event, but profits from ticket sales. UM would not.

However, hosting the game would boost Missoula's economy. Tourists would eat in local restaurants and sleep in local hotels. Plus, Missoula would gain national attention through media coverage, they said.

Issues that have prevented Missoula from hosting the title game in the past have been the winter weather and its location, especially compared to many other schools in the FCS. However, attitudes at the NCAA are shifting, said athletic director Jim O'Day. Anymore, the athletic experience and community support

weigh heavily in the choice of a location.

The NCAA decides the length of the contract.

The Grizzlies have advanced to the national title game six times in the program's history.

dbackjon wrote:Missoula in January?

No.

dbackjon wrote:Missoula in January?

No.

clenz wrote:Hell freaking no.

Nice stadium, but no in Jan

clenz wrote:Hell freaking no.

Nice stadium, but no in Jan

JMU DJ wrote:

clenz wrote:Hell freaking no.

Nice stadium, but no in Jan

Sack it up kid, you live in Iowa for Christ sakes... what's the weather like there in January? Balls cold with two feet of snow.

I'd get out there for this, sounds awesome. Montana looks like a great place from the pictures I've seen... I'd probably feel like a girly man after meeting all you dudes though.

Ursus A. Horribilis wrote:I can't see it happening because there are way too many pussies that need to be accommodated climatically and distracted with theme parks and so forth. One thing is for sure though that stadium would never be empty for the NC Game even if it was Stony Brook and Albany in the game.

bandl wrote:I don't know about the rest of you, but I have these things called PANTS and GLOVES and COATS that I wear when it is cold outside. So I think I could handle a trip to Montana. You slashes might want to look into these things...I'm sure there is some padded underwear out there to accomodate your drippy vaginas that will surely freeze shut in the cold.

bandl wrote:I don't know about the rest of you, but I have these things called PANTS and GLOVES and COATS that I wear when it is cold outside. So I think I could handle a trip to Montana. You slashes might want to look into these things...I'm sure there is some padded underwear out there to accomodate your drippy vaginas that will surely freeze shut in the cold.

danefan wrote:But the major problem I see to this is the accessibiltiy.

Flights from NYC to Chattanooga on Jan 5, 2010 - 1 stop $287 round trip
From NYC to Missoula on Jan 5 2010 - 2 stops $510 round trip

That will be the nail in the coffin for the NCAA I think.

danefan wrote:But the major problem I see to this is the accessibiltiy.

Flights from NYC to Chattanooga on Jan 5, 2010 - 1 stop $287 round trip
From NYC to Missoula on Jan 5 2010 - 2 stops $510 round trip

That will be the nail in the coffin for the NCAA I think.

danefan wrote:

Ursus A. Horribilis wrote:I can't see it happening because there are way too many pussies that need to be accommodated climatically and distracted with theme parks and so forth. One thing is for sure though that stadium would never be empty for the NC Game even if it was Stony Brook and Albany in the game.

And it will look great on TV every single year.

Take that game as an example: If Albany and SBU were to play in the NC game in Chatty, I wouldn't expect to see more than 12,000 at the game and for the most part, the people traveling to Chatty from NY would be the same people that would travel Montana for the game.

Grizalltheway wrote:

danefan wrote:But the major problem I see to this is the accessibiltiy.

Flights from NYC to Chattanooga on Jan 5, 2010 - 1 stop $287 round trip
From NYC to Missoula on Jan 5 2010 - 2 stops $510 round trip

That will be the nail in the coffin for the NCAA I think.

Wouldn't it be 2011?

danefan wrote:But the major problem I see to this is the accessibiltiy.

Flights from NYC to Chattanooga on Jan 5, 2010 - 1 stop $287 round trip
From NYC to Missoula on Jan 5 2010 - 2 stops $510 round trip

That will be the nail in the coffin for the NCAA I think.

Ursus A. Horribilis wrote:

danefan wrote:
And it will look great on TV every single year.

Take that game as an example: If Albany and SBU were to play in the NC game in Chatty, I wouldn't expect to see more than 12,000 at the game and for the most part, the people traveling to Chatty from NY would be the same people that would travel Montana for the game.

I know that there would be very much excitement locally to go to that game if we were out early. To have a chance to go see one more game in the stadium and get out and tailgate and have some fun I'm pretty sure that would be a real hot ticket.

Ursus A. Horribilis wrote:

danefan wrote:But the major problem I see to this is the accessibiltiy.

Flights from NYC to Chattanooga on Jan 5, 2010 - 1 stop $287 round trip
From NYC to Missoula on Jan 5 2010 - 2 stops $510 round trip

That will be the nail in the coffin for the NCAA I think.

It's nice to see an East Coast guy considering what we deal with every time we travel. I know you are not one of the guys that belittles that fact but it's still refreshing to see it be CONSIDERED.