Rockin’ the N7 Turquoise at Montana Lady Griz Basketball Saturday

If turquoise is the happiest stone, its color must bring much joy. And so it is honored among many Native American cultures.

And for the second consecutive year (with at least one more year to go), a couple of very special events will transform the look of University of Montana Lady Griz and Grizzly basketball teams this season. And the first of those inspirational occasions is this Saturday, January 27.

N7

Help recognize and celebrate the University of Montana's close history with Native American and Indigenous peoples. The Griz and Lady Griz will be hosting their second "N7" basketball games. The N7 program is a Nike initiative, which was headed by Fort Peck, Montana, native Sam McCracken. Montana is a Nike-affiliated school.

N7 showcases what Nike describes as their "long-time commitment and mission to inspire and enable two million Native America and Aboriginal youth in North America to participate in sport and physical activity."

NATIVE AMERICAN ENROLLMENT AT UM

The University of Montana has one of the highest enrollment rates of Native American students in the United States, and is one of the leading universities to offer Native American Studies as a major. The N7 games will honor Montana's Native and Indigenous cultures with recognition in pregame and during the game.

This is the second of at least a three-year N7 agreement with Nike.

TIP-OFF DAYS AND TIMES

No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. UM says the customized turquoise uniforms, which is a color that symbolizes friendship and fellowship in Native American cultures, will again be worn for two games this season: This Saturday, January 27, 2:00 p.m. (Lady Griz) and Saturday, February 3, 7:00 p.m. (Griz). The uniforms were created by Nike, but even more exciting is the background of the designer himself, and his ties to the university.

The special logo was designed by UM alum and graphic designer Benji Headswift. Benji is a member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe and took the huge step to leave his hometown of Lame Deer to study at UM.

TURQUOISE CHARM

The turquoise uniforms were a good-luck charm for the both the Lady Griz and the Griz last season. The Lady Griz romped to a 88-56 win over Portland State, while the Griz made a couple of clutch plays down the stretch to hold off Northern Arizona 67-66. This season's N7 opponent for the Lady Griz is Sacramento State, while the Griz will be hosting Eastern Washington.

Tickets are available at the Adams Center ticket office starting one hour before tip-off. You can can also purchase tickets in advance here.