Montana
For the first decade, the football team representing
the University of Montana went by the pioneers.
While the term Bruins was popular for a few years,
a Salt Lake City sportswriter coined the term Grizzlies
from Montana during the 1912 Montana-Utah football
game. The terms Grizzlies, Bruins, and Bears were
used fairly interchangably through the mid 1920s.
As Montana joined the Pacific Coast
Conference, their names became confusing
because the University of California, Berkeley
and U.C.L.A. both had bear mascots. In order
to avoid confusion, each school adopted one
nickname, with Berkeley adopting the Golden
Bears, U.C.L.A. adopting the Bruins, and
Montana adopting the Grizzlies.
For the first decade, the football team representing
the University of Montana went by the pioneers.
While the term Bruins was popular for a few years,
a Salt Lake City sportswriter coined the term Grizzlies
from Montana during the 1912 Montana-Utah football
game. The terms Grizzlies, Bruins, and Bears were
used fairly interchangably through the mid 1920s.
As Montana joined the Pacific Coast
Conference, their names became confusing
because the University of California, Berkeley
and U.C.L.A. both had bear mascots. In order
to avoid confusion, each school adopted one
nickname, with Berkeley adopting the Golden
Bears, U.C.L.A. adopting the Bruins, and
Montana adopting the Grizzlies.
