Saturday was a big day for football fans across the state as the Grizzlies played the Bobcats in Bozeman in what some call the greatest rivalry in Montana.

But fans outside the Treasure State tuned in too with the Cat-Griz game drawing a national audience as Montana college alumni from Hawaii to New York hosted parties for the event.

Over two dozen fans flocked to Pooley's in Madison, Wisconsin to watch the game and the biggest alumni gathering this year was in Denver's Pepsi Center at Brooklyn's Bar.

The UM Alumni Director says the Denver party had easily 500 people crowded wall-to-wall with tons of people standing. She also told us the split between Cat and Griz fans there was about 50-50.

And nearly 300 alumni packed into The Peanut Farm in Anchorage, Alaska where they've watched the game since 1987. There were slightly more Griz fans at that party, but the coordinator says both schools' alumni get along and even share tables.

Alumni hosted close to 80 parties this year and the director says new sites pop up every year. In the end, Griz fans had something to cheer about as UM beat MSU, 33-19.

- Breanna Roy reporting from KPAX in Missoula