Montana State adds first-time future games against Harvard and LIU

Montana State turned its long-range schedule into a statement, locking in home games against Harvard on Sept. 16, 2028, and Long Island University on Sept. 8, 2029, both at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman. The Bobcats are not just filling dates. They are lining up opponents that add playoff value, brand value and national visibility.

The Harvard matchup carries the heavier weight. The Crimson earned an at-large berth to the 2025 FCS playoffs, finished 9-1 overall and 6-1 in Ivy League play, and reached the postseason for the first time since the 1919 campaign. Harvard’s run included a playoff game against Villanova, and Montana State already proved it can handle Ivy League opposition when it beat Yale 21-13 in Bozeman on Dec. 6, 2025. In that game, the Bobcats forced four Yale turnovers and scored two touchdowns in the final 17 minutes.

LIU brings a different kind of value, but the scheduling message is the same. The 2029 game will be the first all-time meeting between Montana State and LIU, and LIU said it will be the first matchup against a Big Sky Conference opponent in program history. Montana State had been scheduled to play LIU in 2020 before that game was canceled because of the pandemic, so the new date also closes a loop that has been open for years.

The Bobcats have been methodical about building a nonconference profile that reaches beyond the usual regional rotation. They beat Wagner 47-24 in 2018, have beaten Mercyhurst in each of the last two seasons, and are scheduled to play Central Connecticut State in 2026. Montana State also added Tennessee Tech to its 2027 and 2028 schedules in February, which means the Harvard and LIU announcements fit a broader pattern: the Bobcats are using future scheduling to protect their national standing while keeping their playoff résumé strong.

Harvard was making a similar move the same day, announcing a future home-and-home series with UC Davis. The Crimson will host the Aggies on Sept. 18, 2027, and travel to Davis on Sept. 20, 2031, a sign that Ivy League scheduling is stretching west as top FCS programs keep treating the calendar like part of the competition.