In Fall 2024, a team of undergraduate and graduate history students at the University of Montana launched an oral history project exploring the powerful ties between UM sports, its fans, and communities across Missoula and Montana. Guided by Professor Jody Pavilack in the Practicing Oral History course, students learned professional interviewing techniques and recorded 36 diverse stories—from Griz superfans and community members to celebrated athletes and coaches.

The collections includes interviews with legendary Lady Griz coach Robin Selvig and five generations of his former players, Hall of Fame football player Brian Salonen, who went from Great Falls to the Dallas Cowboys, and Eric Hays, the point guard who led the Griz to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen before his long coaching career in Missoula.

Other interviews reveal the quieter ways UM sports shape lives—such as Gloria Swanson, who found solace watching the Griz win the 1995 national championship during her mother’s final days, and History Professor Wade Davies, who reflected on how his lifelong love of sports guided his path to Montana. Together, these stories illuminate how people became part of Griz Nation and how UM athletics continues to connect and inspire communities across the state.

You can now listen to the interviews through the Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections
here! 

The project has been featured in several media outlets: UM Oral History Project Highlights Spirit of Griz Nation, UM Students Document Griz Nation, NonStopLocal. 

This is an ongoing project. If you or someone you know has good stories about the history of UM athletics and the Griz Nation community, we would love to record them! Please reach out to jody.pavilack@umontana.edu.