MISSOULA – Missoula business groups offered their support for a bid to host the Football Championship Subdivision national championship game, as long as University of Montana officials felt they would be able to make the needed facility upgrades in time.
During a meeting Monday, both the Missoula Chamber of Commerce and the Missoula Convention and Visitors Bureau said they supported the effort.
Kim Latrielle, chamber director, says she made 15 calls last week asking if people would be willing to donate $1,000 to the cause. She says 13 offered their support.
UM Vice President Jim Foley says going through the process of submitting a bid would be valuable, even if the first effort wasn’t successful.
The deadline to submit bids for the 2010 championship game, which would be played in January 2011, is Oct. 13.
University officials have said they would have to raise at least $300,000 to make a competitive bid. The locker rooms and press box at Washington-Grizzly Stadium would also need some upgrades.