Griz fans enjoy the new Canyon Club soon after it opened in 2008.

Dec. 12, 2009, was a magical night, as a national television audience watched the Montana Grizzlies defeat powerhouse Appalachian State 24-17 during a Montana snowstorm. It was the most watched Football Championship Subdivision game in ESPN history, and new visits to UM’s website spiked 232 percent during the contest.

With 23,757 fans in attendance (many shirtless), the blustery game set an FCS record for crowd size during a semifinal game. That record wouldn’t have been possible without the new east-side expansion of Washington-Grizzly Stadium, which added 2,000 seats.

The expansion includes the top-level Canyon Club, an exclusive, glassed-in suite with seating for 125 and a total capacity of 300.

“We definitely needed more seats in the stadium,” Athletic Director Jim O’Day says. “The project came at a time when many of our suites were due for renewal of their 20-year leases. There was a significant price increase, so we thought the Canyon Club, where people share a large box with 100 friends, would be a nice alternative.”

The expansion will be paid for by ticket sales and support from the Grizzly Scholarship Association during a six-year period. UM students also agreed to pay an additional $10 athletic fee for another 700 student seats. That fee sunsets when the expansion is paid off.

The stadium originally had 12,500 seats when completed in 1986. Four expansions have now raised the seating capacity to 25,200.
O’Day says the latest addition has performed better than expected. Planners hoped it would be at 85 percent capacity after six years. After year two, it already is 90 percent filled.

Are more additions on the horizon?

“We always look ahead,” he says. “This latest expansion has the infrastructure to add another 1,000 to 1,500 seats in a way we can afford.”

Project at a Glance:

Cost: $5.8 Million
Start Date: December 2007
Completion: August 2008
Gross Square Footage: 5,000
Funding: 100% UM
Unique Feature: The Canyon Club