MISSOULA — When the Montana Grizzlies hit the road, loyal fans in Missoula gathered to cheer on their team inside of Red's Bar.
The first road game of the Griz football season took place Saturday in Pocatello where the team beat the Idaho State Bengals 42-38. The fans who stayed behind were determined to make the most of game day, some from downtown.
"Red's is the ultimate sports bar in the Missoula area. Whether you are coming to visit or you live here, if there's one place to go for sports, drinks, and a good time, you come to Red's," football fan Will Gordon said.
Fans didn't just show up to watch football, they showed up for good company too.
In fact, the dedication runs deep among regulars at the establishment. A group of friends shared with MTN that this has been a tradition of theirs for about two decades.
"We all come to Red's because we're one big Grizzly family. We've been doing this for about 20 years," one longtime patron said.
As fans awaited kickoff, they weren't short of cold beverages and entertainment with dice games adding to the festive atmosphere.
Behind the bar, Alliah Nelson brought her own Griz spirit to the job. After years of cheering on the football team from the sidelines as a member of the UM Spirit Squad, she's found a new way to stay connected to game day energy.
"I was a cheerleader for three years, so I was a member of the Spirit Squad, which was a lot of fun. I really miss it, but happy that I still get to be a part of game day in the game day environment," Nelson said.
Throughout her shift serving football fans, she had a front-row seat to the TV from behind the bar and made sure to wear her Griz gear.
"I wore my 406 jersey because, you know, go Griz! Have to support them all the time," Nelson said.
The atmosphere brings together people, united by their love of college football.
"You got the culture of football all in the bar and it's just an awesome place to hang out and have some beers," another Griz fan, Ashton Baird said.
