Montana
Montana Grizzlies' “Monte” to be enshrined in Mascot Hall of Fame
(Editor’s note: Montana Athletics news release.)
MISSOULA — Monte, the University of Montana’s longtime bear mascot, will forever be immortalized as he was selected as a member of the Mascot Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.
He will be inducted during a ceremony later this fall, alongside professional mascots Jaxson de Ville (Jacksonville Jaguars), Lou Seal (San Francisco Giants) and Orbit (Houston Astros).
A staple in the Treasure State, Monte (short for Montana) has delighted fans and friends across Montana since his inception in 1993. His acrobatic skills, infectious enthusiasm, engaging personality and signature entrances to football games have made him a favorite among Griz fans for more than three decades.
More than just sports, though, the mischievous bear can be found at local schools, community service opportunities and other events in Missoula and around the state.
Monte is the two-time Capital One Mascot of the Year, and earlier this spring earned runner-up at The College Classic National Championship. Always portrayed by current University of Montana students, the character has produced mascots at the professional ranks, including fellow Mascot Hall of Famers Benny (Chicago Bulls) and Clutch (Houston Rockets).
With this year’s four inductees, a total of 33 mascots have been inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame. Monte is the 10th NCAA mascot, and the only one from a current FCS institution. Other NCAA institutions to have their mascot inducted are: Auburn, Delaware, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Syracuse, Tennessee, Western Kentucky and Wisconsin.
Monte was originally placed on the Class of 2024 ballot in May, along with 18 other collegiate and professional mascots. The voting was broken up into three categories: fan voting, Mascot Hall of Fame members and the Mascot Hall of Fame executive committee.
“The Mascot Hall of Fame is honored to welcome Jaxson de Ville, Lou Seal, Monte, and Orbit into the Class of 2024,” said Joby Giacalone, chairman of the executive committee of the Mascot Hall of Fame.
“Each of these mascots has made significant contributions to their teams and communities, exemplifying the joy and entertainment that mascots bring to sports. Their induction celebrates their legacy and the indelible impact they have had on fans.”
The Mascot Hall of Fame was founded in 2014 and launched an interactive exhibit in Whiting, Indiana, outside of Chicago, in 2018. Earlier this winter, it was named the nation’s top pop culture museum by USA Today.
Details about Monte’s induction ceremony, as well as a special recognition for Monte at a Griz football game, will be announced this summer.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from July 8 drawing
12-29-37-43-55, Powerball: 18, Power Play: 4
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from July 8 drawing
17-26-31-32-37, Star Ball: 01, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from July 8 drawing
03-13-16-17, Bonus: 10
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from July 8 drawing
06-27-33-44-69, Powerball: 23
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from July 8 drawing
08-16-17-22-27
Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 8 drawing
16-18-43-48-50, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
HELENA, Mont — Gov. Greg Gianforte is backing a new effort to keep data centers from driving up Montanans’ power bills.
This week, Gianforte announced Montana is signing on to the Ratepayer Protection Pledge — an initiative endorsed by President Trump.
Several major technology companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and XAI first signed the pledge back in March.
The pledge comes as data center development continues to grow — raising questions about how much new energy will be needed and who will pay for it.
NBC Montana spoke with Julia Haggerty, professor of geography and department head of earth sciences at Montana State University, about whether Montana’s power grid is ready for that growth.
“Not without resolution of significant transmission bottlenecks and massive amounts of new generation. So, while our grid is adequately, relatively adequately equipped to serve the needs of our current load base, it’s definitely not equipped to accommodate the new demands without a lot of expansion,” she said.
According to the pledge, data center developers will pay for new power generation, and infrastructure needed to support their operations.
“It does align with ongoing regulatory efforts to ensure that the cost of new generation associated with data centers is borne by the developers of those data centers and not customers,” Haggerty said.
The governor’s office says Gianforte’s support of the pledge is designed to encourage responsible data center investments while protecting Montana ratepayers from long-term costs.
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