So you're looking for professional sports in Montana? Well, you won't find the Yankees or Lakers here, but what we do have might surprise you. From championship baseball teams with nearly 80 years of history to arena football that actually wins titles, Montana's sports scene is way more interesting than most people realize.
Baseball rules the summer in Big Sky Country
Let's be honest… Montana summers are basically made for baseball. The Pioneer League teams have been around forever (okay, since 1948 for the Mustangs), and they've survived everything from MLB restructuring to economic downturns.
The league went through a pretty wild transformation in 2021. They used to be affiliated with Major League Baseball, but now they're an independent Partner League. Sounds like a downgrade? Not really. Senator Jon Tester actually fought to keep these teams alive when MLB was ready to axe them, and now they're doing better than ever. The 2024 season broke attendance records across the league.
The Billings Mustangs: Montana's winningest team
If you want to see a team that knows how to win, head to Billings. The Mustangs have 15 Pioneer League championships, which is more than any other team in league history. They play at Dehler Park, a $12.5 million stadium that holds about 3,071 fans.
Here's what makes them special:
- George Brett played here (yes, that George Brett)
- Trevor Hoffman too
- Tickets are stupid cheap ($8-$10)
- They average 3,000+ fans per game
- The stadium has actual good food
The Mustangs were affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds from 1974 to 2020, which is basically an eternity in minor league baseball years. Now they're independent and honestly seem to be having more fun with it.
The Missoula PaddleHeads are kind of dominating right now
The PaddleHeads might have the weirdest name in professional sports (what even is a paddlehead?), but they're absolutely crushing it in 2025. We're talking a 50-16 record with a .758 winning percentage. That's not just good… that's ridiculous.
They play at Ogren Park at Allegiance Field, which sits right along the Clark Fork River. You can literally walk to the game on Missoula's trail system, grab a beer, watch Roberto Pena hit his 30th home run of the season, then walk home along the river. Try doing that at Yankee Stadium.
Quick facts about the PaddleHeads:
- Won the championship their first year as an independent team (2021)
- Broadcast on ESPN Montana 102.9 FM
- Have the best mascot in the league (fight me)
- Tickets available at their website
Glacier Range Riders: The new kids with the fancy stadium
The Range Riders just started playing in 2022, but they've already got the nicest stadium in Montana. Glacier Bank Park in Kalispell has artificial turf, 19 suites, and views of Glacier National Park. The center field fence is exactly 406 feet from home plate because… Montana area code. Sometimes the obvious joke is the right joke.
They set an attendance record with 5,373 fans on July 4, 2024. The stadium was privately funded, which in the world of professional sports is basically unheard of. Their 2025 schedule just dropped if you're planning ahead.
Great Falls Voyagers: The UFO team
Yes, they're really named after a UFO sighting from 1950. Great Falls is weird like that, and we love it. The Voyagers play at Voyager Stadium, which is so old it was built by the WPA. That's 1940s old, for those keeping track.
They're rebuilding under new ownership in 2025, but they've got the longest continuous professional baseball history at the same location in Montana. The stadium might be ancient, but there's something cool about watching baseball where people have been watching it for 80+ years.
Hockey gets serious when winter hits
Once baseball season ends, Montana switches to hockey mode. We've got four teams in the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL), which is junior hockey for players aged 16-20. These kids are trying to make it to college or pro hockey, and they play like it.
The Frontier Division includes:
- Great Falls Americans (best attendance)
- Bozeman Icedogs (2 championships)
- Helena Bighorns (45-9 last season!)
- Butte Irish (cool name, building program)
What junior hockey actually means
Okay, so "junior hockey" sounds like little kids, but these are basically semi-pro players who can't get paid because they want to keep their college eligibility. The development path goes junior hockey → college → pro, and Montana teams have sent players all the way to the NHL.
The Great Falls Americans play at the IcePlex, which holds about 1,500 people and gets pretty rowdy. The Bozeman Icedogs produced Matt Dalton, who played for South Korea in the 2018 Olympics. That's legit.
Helena's Bighorns went 45-9 last season and made it to the national tournament. The Butte Irish just brought back a team name from 1996, because Butte loves its history almost as much as it loves drinking.
College hockey is surprisingly good
Montana State's club team just won the 2025 Montana Cup with a 40-5-2 record. That's not a typo. You can follow them @msubobcathockey on Instagram if you want to see college kids destroying other college kids at hockey.
Montana Tech in Butte is trying to revive their program after The Hockey News ranked them #1 in the state back in 2013-14. Apparently they ran out of money, which… yeah, that happens in Montana sports.
Arena football: Still hanging on (barely)
The Billings Outlaws won the 2024 ArenaBowl championship, beating Albany 46-41. That's the good news. The bad news? The owner says there's a 50-50 chance they're leaving town in 2026.
Here's the problem with arena football in Montana:
- Average attendance: 2,100 (not enough)
- Workers comp costs: $125,000/year
- Corporate sponsors: disappearing
- First Interstate Arena: 8,700 seats (too big)
- Season: April through July
The arena itself is nice… it got a $27 million renovation in 2010-2011. But arena football is a tough sell when you can watch the Mustangs play outside for $8 instead of sitting inside during Montana's three good weather months.
Semi-pro football exists too
There's outdoor semi-pro football through the Rocky Mountain Football League and other random leagues. Teams like the Montana Blaze and Missoula Phoenix play, but honestly, tracking semi-pro football in Montana is like trying to follow a soap opera where half the cast changes every episode.
The Butte Miners announced they're starting in 2024, which either already happened or didn't. Semi-pro football news is weird like that.
The other sports you might not know about
Rodeo is actually professional here
The Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit is part of the PRCA, and these cowboys and cowgirls are competing for real money. The circuit finals happen in Great Falls every year, and it's exactly as Montana as you'd expect.
This isn't some tourist attraction either. These are professional athletes who happen to ride angry animals for a living. The connection to Montana's ranching culture means rodeo will probably outlast every other sport on this list.
Racing at Mission Valley Super Oval
Mission Valley Super Oval in Polson is Montana's only asphalt racing oval still operating. The Montana 200 race has a prize purse over $50,000, which is serious money for local racing.
We used to have Montana Raceway Park near Kalispell, but it closed in 2020 after almost 30 years. Now it's basically Mission Valley, Big Sky Speedway for dirt track, or nothing.
College lacrosse won a national championship
This is random but awesome: Montana State's lacrosse team won the 2024 MCLA Division II national championship, beating St. Thomas 12-7. You can check them out at their website if you're into that sort of thing.
The money side of Montana sports
Let's talk economics for a minute, because it's actually pretty interesting. A University of Montana study found that Grizzly Athletics alone generates $120.8 million in total economic output and supports 1,384 permanent jobs. Each home football game brings $2.5 million in out-of-area visitor spending to Missoula.
Pioneer League players make between $1,500 and $2,500 per month, which sounds terrible until you realize they're basically getting paid to play baseball in Montana all summer. Many of them pick up local jobs too, because… $1,500 a month.
Sports betting became legal in Montana and generated $610,885 in tax revenue in 2024 from $66.47 million in total bets. That's a lot of people betting on the Mustangs to cover the spread.
How to actually follow these teams
Getting tickets and schedules
Baseball tickets are stupid easy to get. Just show up to the stadium or hit the team websites. Most games are under $10 for general admission. Season packages make it even cheaper if you're really committed to watching 48 home games.
Hockey tickets vary by venue, but the NA3HL games are affordable family entertainment. The seasons run October through March, perfect for when you're sick of winter and need something to do indoors.
Where to watch and listen
If you can't make it to games:
- SWX covers regional sports on TV
- ESPN Montana 102.9 FM has PaddleHeads games
- Most teams stream somehow
- Social media for highlights
Every team has Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts where they post constantly. It's actually easier to follow Montana baseball than some MLB teams because the social media person is probably also the ticket sales person and they really want you to engage.
Why Montana probably won't get major league teams
Look, we need to be realistic here. Montana has 1.14 million people spread across the fourth-largest state. One analysis pointed out that we're just too small and too spread out for major league anything.
The challenges are real:
- Geography makes travel expensive
- Winter kills outdoor sports
- Limited corporate sponsors
- Small TV market
- Population density of… basically nothing
But here's the thing: who cares? A PaddleHeads game along the Clark Fork River beats sitting in traffic trying to get to a major league stadium. Our teams might be small, but they're ours.
The future looks… interesting
Bozeman's population is up 57% since 2010, and western Montana cities are growing fast. That could mean expansion opportunities for existing leagues or even new teams. The Billings hockey team that was announced might actually happen someday. Maybe.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell even wrote a piece about putting an NFL team in Bozeman, which was obviously a thought experiment but still fun to imagine. Could you imagine tailgating at 20 below? Actually, Montanans would probably love that.
The reality is that Montana's professional sports scene reflects who we are: independent, stubborn, and happy to do our own thing. These teams survive because communities support them, not because TV contracts demand it.
Whether it's watching future MLB players in Billings, cheering for teenagers trying to make the NHL in Great Falls, or enjoying a summer evening at a PaddleHeads game, Montana offers sports experiences you can't get in big cities. They're more intimate, more affordable, and honestly more fun.
So no, we don't have the NBA or NFL. But we've got championship baseball teams, competitive hockey, and arena football that somehow keeps surviving against all odds. Plus rodeo, which might be more Montana than all of them combined.
Want to support Montana sports? Buy a ticket. Seriously, that's it. Show up, buy a beer, yell at the umpire, and enjoy professional sports the way they used to be everywhere… affordable, local, and actually fun to watch.
