FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION

• Montana to play at Tennessee in 2011

  Missoula, MT (Sports Network) - The University of Montana football team will open its 2011 season with a game at the University of Tennessee.

  The matchup, scheduled for Sept. 3, is the first between the visitors from the Big Sky Conference and the Southeastern Conference power. Montana, the FCS runner-up in each of the past two seasons, will play an FBS program for the first time since losing 41-7 at the University of Iowa on Sept. 2, 2006.

  The Grizzlies, who will receive a $500,000 guarantee for the game, will likely play in front of the largest crowd in school history. The capacity at the Volunteers' Neyland Stadium is 102,038. The largest crowd Montana has played in front of is 70,585 - in the 2006 loss at Iowa.

  "This will be one of the biggest games we've played in our history, not to mention that we will be playing in front of the biggest crowd ever to watch a Grizzly football team play," Montana athletic director Jim O'Day said. "Our student-athletes really enjoyed the opportunity to play Oregon (2005) and Iowa the past few years, and this is another chance to get them in front of a big crowd and give them a taste of big-time football.

  "This is one of those situations that it just made sense to play an opponent of this caliber, "O'Day continued. "We are going to be compensated well for it. Plus, we have connections down there with our many FCS championship trips to Chattanooga, and our relationship with (head coach) Jeff Fisher and the Tennessee Titans. As most Griz fans know, Jeff's son, Brandon, was an outstanding linebacker for us, plus (former UM All-American) Tim Hauck is on the Titans' coaching staff, and (also a former Griz All-American) Marc Mariani is currently on their roster." Tennessee was previously scheduled to play North Texas in Knoxville to open its 2011 season, but UNT is opening a new football stadium and wanted to begin the season at home in its Denton, Texas, facility.

  07/27 10:44:51 ET