Something about playing at altitude just agrees with Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton. After making a name for himself at MSU, he now finds himself one of the NFL’s top tacklers in Denver.

The FCS playoffs are underway and after earning a first round bye, the Bobcats are all set for their second round matchup against the pride of the Ivy League Yale Bulldogs. 

Former Cats quarterback Tommy Mellott and former Yale quarterback Jeff Mroz sat down with Outlaw Beat in the middle of Bobcat Stadium to school all of us about college football ahead of the big game.

On this episode we’re talking about the one and only Madison River and its unsung hero caretakers, the Madison River Foundation. In this moment, more than ever, this is a group that deserves your attention, your volunteer efforts, and your dollars.

As you well know, we don’t normally publish episodes that are “smart” or “important” but this one fell into our lap, so here we are. Dr. Paul Alan Cox is a world-renowned ethnobotanist who has dedicated his life to understanding and curing the most mystifying brain diseases like Alzheimer’s, ALS, and Parkinsons.

Montana State University’s new President Dr. Brock Tessman has only been on the job for a few months but you can already smell what the Brock is cooking! Sorry. From facilities and staff to research and athletics, Dr. Tessman is poised to lead a rapidly growing MSU into uncharted territory. He inherited a great situation thanks to past leadership, but he’s prepared to leave his own distinctive mark.

Put a sport coat on over your flannel because we’re learning all about Montana Chamber Music, the local program that’s bringing top tier classical talent to Bozeman and all over rural Montana.

Artistic Director Angella Ahn (of the Ahn Trio) joins us to discuss bringing fancy chamber music to far flung ranches and she’s joined by two visiting virtuosos Kenji Bunch (composer, violist) and Monica Ohuchi (pianist).

Earlier this month on Indigenous People’s Day, Montana State University’s Department of Native Studies officially dedicated its new massive permanent arbor behind the building. About 5 years in the making, the arbor highlights the importance of the department’s cultural legacy and its presence on campus. Plus it’s just super pretty.

Bozeman’s WARD (Water Adequacy for Residential Development) Initiative makes real estate developers’ water rights access dependent on the achievement of extremely ambitious benchmarks when it comes to affordable housing. Quite the mouthful.

To help you understand and vote smart on WARD, Outlaw Beat is joined by Executive Director at Headwaters Community Housing Trust Nathan Stein and Mayoral Candidate Douglas Fischer.

Jack Creek Preserve is a 4500 acre conservation easement in Ennis that connects two massive sections of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. We’re hosting its 20th birthday party on this episode and you’re invited. If you didn’t bring a gift, it’s okay, but still… rude.

The world recently lost a tiny woman named Dr. Jane Goodall who was a giant in the field of animal studies. Jane made a name for herself humanizing chimpanzees, and today legendary wildlife photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen joins us to humanize Jane and give us rare insight into who she was as a person.

Summer is gone. October is here. And in Montana, that means it’s winter sports time. On this episode, we’re talking about youth ice hockey with two coaches and administrators.

Joseph McFadden is the program director and coach for the MT-64 Hockey Association in Big Sky and Pete Kamman is the executive director of the Montana Amateur Hockey Association and assistant coach for the Montana State Hockey Club.

An episode all about menopause might seem like it’s for the ladies - and it certainly involves a lot of talk about estrogen - but this content is highly recommended for anyone with a woman in their life. You got a mom? A wife? A female parole officer? Then listen up.

We’re bringing the smoke this week with Bozeman’s Yellow House Barbecue owner Austin Brown. His ridiculous custom smoker cranks out top-notch Texas-style barbecue behind a little yellow historic home at 609 West Mendenhall.

This episode is a scorcher as we learn all about wildfire tendencies and preparation from fire behavior analyst Jon Trapp, Division Chief of Wildland Fire at Big Sky Fire Department.

Meet the Property and Environment Research Center (or PERC), Bozeman’s nonprofit think tank making national headlines with its unique free market approach to environmental advocacy.

We’re taking a mental health day on this episode as we learn more about Big Sky’s Wellness in Action (or WiA). Community Health Workers Hope and Melissa join us to “buck the stigma” and spread the word that hot people ask for help.

The inaugural Lone Peak Film Festival is coming to Big Sky’s Waypoint Theater September 19-21. Festival Director Daniel Glick and Program Director Lucía Ortega Toledo join us to preview the weekend’s festivities and talk about how this long overdue festival finally came together.

Representative Ryan Zinke has just introduced the GYREAT Act designating 100 river miles in Montana as “wild & scenic.” Conservation lobbyist Charles Wolf Drimal (Greater Yellowstone Coalition) educates us about the process and explains the importance of this landmark piece of legislation. He also has advice for making your voice heard in a noisy political moment.

Carry this episode across the threshold because we’re talking about the new affordable homes available in our resort town thanks to Big Sky Community Housing Trust. Executive Director Dave O’Connor joins us to talk about the conditions that have made it so difficult for regular folks to own homes these days and the steps that his organization is taking to offer relief in Big Sky.

We’re talking about the beautiful buildings of Bozeman on this episode with local architecture firm 45 Architecture & Interiors. Founder Jeff Lusin hosted us at the new Belgrade Community Library to talk about that project and others in the area, plus some inside baseball about the art of building.