BOZEMAN — It’s been almost a week since the Bobcats won the FCS Championship. It’s a win that continues to be talked about and celebrated, and as it turns out, one that’s especially important to MSU.
“As I begin to watch more and more how this team developed in the last 15 years, it’s really become exciting,” said Martin Hamilton, a Cats fan and MSU professor emeritus of statistics who’s lived in Bozeman for 55 years.
Big win, bigger impact! MSU expects more students to apply after the Bobcats' championship victory
Hamilton says he was a faculty member at MSU when the Cats won the national championship in 1984.
“I didn’t pay much attention back then, and I thought ‘wow that’s pretty impressive,’” said Hamilton.
Since Hamilton worked at MSU for more than 50 years, MTN’s Esha Walia decided to ask him if he had noticed the school grow a lot.
“Oh yeah! Amazing, yes,” said Hamilton.
“I was here for a lot of the growth, and it was all exciting and continues to be exciting,” he added. “Academically as well as in terms of sports.”
Hamilton says the campus has changed, too.
“I don’t know my way around campus with all of the new buildings,” Hamilton said. “The facilities for the athletes have really improved dramatically, and it also has for the students.”
That growth is expected to continue, according to the university, thanks to the Bobcats’ win on Monday.
“Anytime you get on a national stage like this, right, it really puts our name out there, puts MSU out there on the national level,” said MSU spokesman Michael Becker. “It raises awareness, and yeah, we think that’s probably going to drive some interest in MSU.”
“We’re going to see more applications, we’re going to see some students who see ‘hey, this is a university that’s a national champion,’” he added.
MSU already broke enrollment records this school year, with a total of 17,165 students. Becker says this growth and interest in MSU is also thanks to the fans.
“We’re still going to see packed stadiums and football games, and I think that’s going to bring a lot of people to town,” said Becker.
Now, MSU is gearing up for a parade honoring the Bobcats on January 17th.
“We want to make sure our students have a chance to take part in this, and they are not back quite yet on campus,” said Becker.
For more information about the parade, visit this link.
