It was announced back shortly after the huge 48-41 win over Grizzlies, that Eastern Washington University football would not play the University of Montana every year from now on due to new rivalry rights with the University of Idaho entering the Big Sky. The Eagles will now be playing Idaho and Portland State every year instead of the annual Griz game.
To give a comparison, the competition with Montana dates back to 1938, while the Eagles have been playing PSU since 1968.
The root of the problem is that protecting Portland State University over Montana as a rival just makes no sense at all. It is almost two times the distance, and it is nothing compared to the Eagles versus the Grizzlies matchup. Traveling to Missoula is the ultimate test for a football team, unlike going to Portland where the games are horribly attended and some are not even played in Portland, with games in Hillsboro.
Montana has a deep rooted rivalry for Eastern Washington fans. It is fierce but friendly at the same time. The nature of the two teams is a fun atmosphere and it is a game that both fan bases circle on their calendars to make sure they are able to watch that Saturday’s matchup.
At the end of the day we are not in-state rivals, we are Interstate-90 rivals. But Montana doesn’t have professional football and that is why they will have fans drive from everywhere to watch the Griz play. Having the fans visit Cheney was always a treat and the fact that we do not have that game every two years at the red turf is disappointing to say the least.
But with Portland State, the only thing EWU has with the Vikings is the Dam Cup, which is superficial and it could be sacrificed. The rivalry in the past has not gone anywhere because PSU does not have an identity right now. Their program is not a good foundation to base a rivalry on and could be on the chopping block as it was before their win at Washington State in 2015. Portland State has been more competitive in the recent years, but when you look at the winners of the Big Sky Conference, it is Montana, Montana State and Eastern Washington.
On the other hand, it does make sense as to why EWU protected Idaho as a rival. The competition between those two teams will bring high expectations and a great long term rivalry. But why would EWU have their rivals be UI and PSU when you could get Montana? It makes no sense and the Grizzlies should have had protection over the Vikings.
The university is always guaranteed a sellout crowd for the Montana game every other year, but they won’t get that insurance every year with Portland State. If EWU wants a new stadium, they won’t be able to build one with a PSU rivalry. Instead, it is taking a huge step backwards by taking that Montana game away every year and the conference has done it to the premiere team in the Big Sky.
Eastern has won four of the last five Big Sky championships and were 2010 national champions. The Eagles make big runs in the playoffs, earn home field advantage and get respect from the polls. But with this decision, it feels like EWU is not being honored for this impressive track record.
The decision needs to be fixed ASAP and people need to remember who the big guy is in the Big Sky Conference. How is it that the team which has won five of the last seven conference titles be told they will have to build a new rivalry when one of the best ones already exists?
Either way, we will miss the Grizzly fans coming to Cheney to lose.
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