Montana high school football returns for another fall, with the 2026 Montana High School Association (MHA) playoff bracket scheduled to begin October 30-31 in the AA, A, and B divisions (8-player) and the C division (6-player). Between now and then, teams across the state will play their regular-season schedules in pursuit of a postseason berth.
The football scene in Montana is truly statewide, not concentrated in a single metropolitan area: programs in Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, Bozeman, Helena, Butte, and dozens of smaller towns compete for a state title, and the sport holds significant importance in cities where football is one of the few fall sports. One name worth remembering heading into 2026: Kalispell Glacier, which recently became the third program in Montana history to win 11 or more consecutive state titles—a streak so sustained that it places them in an elite group nationally, not just statewide.
Montana’s state rankings for the 2026 season are compiled by outlets like On3, whose system combines data from the Massey, MaxPreps, ESPN, and SI rankings to create a geographically balanced picture. This is helpful given that Montana’s rankings and the long distances between cities make it difficult to create a single, straightforward ranking compared to smaller, more densely populated states.
For team schedules, the Montana High School Association website and MaxPreps’ Montana football section are the most reliable sources, as both present the information by ranking.
Check our Scores page for Montana results once the season is underway, and our Rankings page for where the state’s top programs stand.