Montana State raising funds to help Spirit of the West marching band attend Jan. 5 national championship game

BOZEMAN - Montana State University is raising funds to offset costs for the Spirit of the West marching band to accompany the Bobcats as they play for the FCS national football championship in Nashville, Tennessee, on Jan. 5, 2026.

"Throughout the entire season, from the first home game to the playoffs, the MSU Spirit of the West has been there, in the stands and on the field, filling Bobcat Stadium with energy and music," said MSU President Brock Tessman. "The band never lets us forget what it means to be a Bobcat."

Terry Leist, MSU's vice president for administration and finance, explained that the university's budget doesn't include playoff travel for the band, and the NCAA does not provide resources for bands to accompany their teams.

To guarantee the timely arrival of the student band members, their equipment and their instruments, a chartered flight is needed, as well as lodging, meals and ground transportation. In total, the band's travel costs to get to and from Nashville are expected to exceed $300,000.

"To be very clear: The Spirit of the West is going to be in Nashville supporting the Bobcats," Leist said. "We've seen generous support so far from our fans, the community and Bobcat supporters to help the university offset the costs of the band's travel, but we still have a long way to go toward our goal."

The Spirit of the West band was founded in 1983. Its more than 200 student members come from all of MSU's colleges, representing 74 different majors. The average SOTW member gives more than 200 hours to the band in a typical season, and collectively they perform more than 50 times each year and can be seen - and heard - at all MSU home football games and many other events on campus and in the Bozeman community.

For information on how you can support the Spirit of the West band or to make a donation in support of their travel costs, visit https://www.msuaf.org/SOTWtoNashville.