FAIRVIEW — Across most of Montana on Monday for the FCS Championship game against the Montana State Bobcats and the North Dakota State Bison, there will be a sea of fans in blue and gold showing their support for the Cats, but in the small town of Fairview, there will be more fans in green and yellow than you might expect.
Located just a few hundred feet from the North Dakota border, the Double Barrel Saloon and Casino on Ellery Ave. has become a haven for NDSU fans living on the Montana side. Brian Renville, a lifelong Bison fan, junior high football coach, and the bar's owner, helped open the establishment over 19 years ago to create a home for his fellow North Dakota fans.
“It was kind of the idea with my family, and they came up with the idea. I wasn't originally supposed to be a part of this," said Renville. "I came back here to help out and never really left. Fairview was my spot after that.”
As a former NDSU student and growing up supporting the team, the business venture just made sense to Renville. Currently, the bar is the only official NDSU bar in the state of Montana, made official by their contribution to the NDSU Team Makers non-profit program.
"They sent us a great big box of loot," said Renville. "If those kids are coming in, I'm walking through, I see them, we push a little NDSU stuff on them."
Despite their proud support for North Dakota, Cats fans still pack the place during game days. Renville points out that the town is fairly split and each side has their fair share of supporters.
“I think our split between Bobcats and Bison is probably pretty much half. A lot of oil fields, a lot of farmers, and you know what, a lot of those guys that own the farms, they went to MSU and a lot of them went to NDSU," said Renville. “We get along and we kind of support each other a little bit."
That split is reflected throughout most of Eastern Montana. One such fan is Jeff Unger, a Glendive resident who has been a Bobcats fan for as long as he can remember. Unger attended college at MSU and even worked as the team's videographer until 2012.
"(I) just fell in love with Bobcat Nation and everything that it stands for down there in Bozeman and just seeing the program grow has been a real cool blessing," said Unger.
Unger's support runs so deep that he has followed the Bobcat's journey all the way to the championship game in Frisco, Texas, having the trip fully booked back in September, confident in their ability to make it this far.
“You knew when you got down to New Mexico and watch that comeback win that this team was different. They were special, and ever since then, it's just been an amazing ride," said Unger from his hotel room in Frisco.
In his town of Glendive, he said he sees predominantly Bobcat fans with a good amount of Bison fans mixed in. Even though he is a staunch Bobcats supporter, Unger sees the rivalry with NDSU as good-natured and respectful.
“Everyone's really cordial. It was really nice to kind of go back and forth with my physical therapist about the Cats versus the Bison, so it's a really cool little rivalry that's kind of butted, but it's definitely friendly," said Unger. “North Dakota State is probably one of the friendliest fan groups I've ever met in my entire life.”
For both fan bases in Eastern Montana, there is something that does bring them together. Hunter Sharbono is a Fairview native who currently plays for the Bobcats as a defensive tackle. In the small town of just over 800 people, local youth sports holds a high value to many of its residents, so his involvement with the team has brought even more community pride to the town.
“We've got a hometown kid playing for the cats right now, and that's huge. I mean, I think that brings just as many people in here as anything else is," said Renville. "We couldn't be more proud of what he's done on the football field and what he's worked to earn. The whole town's rooting for him.”
This blend of competition and community spirit helps define Fairview’s unique position in the Montana-North Dakota rivalry. With the championship around the corner, both Renville and Unger predict a good but fierce game, with their respective teams coming out on top.
“Probably about a 50/50 split between Bobcats and NDSU fans. NDSU travels really well. I think it's going to be a great turnout for both schools and Bobcats are going to go get that win," said Unger.
As Monday's start time draws closer, one thing is for certain—Fairview will be one of the most interesting places to watch the FCS Championship. In this small town, divided by team colors but united by pride, all are welcome, and the friendly rivalry lives on.
“We get along. I mean, there's once in a while the very rare times that the Bison do lose, there's a few people that want to come in and just poke at me a little bit,” joked Renville. “It's going to be a good time. I think we're going to represent pretty well here in this little town.”
