MISSOULA - The thunderous noise that echoes through Washington-Grizzly Stadium after every Griz touchdown isn't just crowd noise — the cannon boom also fills the stadium.
The touchdown cannon tradition is carefully orchestrated by the University of Montana ROTC cadets known as the Boom Crew.
Watch to learn more about the Boom Crew:
A five-person volunteer team of cadets, overseen by a cadre member, has operated the touchdown cannon that fires before and throughout Griz football games since 1990.
The process requires precision, teamwork and strict safety protocols.
"I'd say the most difficult part is making sure everyone knows their role. It's a lot of moving parts at the same time, especially when they're coming towards us," said UM ROTC program cadet Maycie Barrett.
The cannon firing process involves a series of steps that happen in a short window of time. No metal cannonballs are used, but instead wadded paper that disintegrates when fired.
"We load it with, it's like some gunpowder, it's a mixture of gunpowder and stuff with just tissue paper around it, and then we load that and then we really just wad up a bunch of paper and push that in," Barrett said. "It shoots out the paper (and) just disintegrates. Sometimes we have like some sparks on the ground, so we stomp those out."
The adrenaline rush is part of the appeal for crew members.
"It feels amazing, you know? You can feel it throughout your whole body," said Liam Gallagher, another University of Montana ROTC program cadet.
However, the crew can't get lost in the excitement. Safety remains the top priority with multiple moving parts during game operations.
"We have to put safety measures into it. I can't make sure they're running into like the blast shield, but then also making sure we have everything," Barrett said.
The cannon being used is a replica M1841 Mountain Howitzer. It required modifications when it was donated in 2017.
Originally, the cannon was too loud and needed adjustments to reduce its impact on spectators. The cannon was modified, but still maintained the dramatic effect fans expect.
"When we got this one, it actually was too loud. We had to get it adjusted to be quieter so it didn't like affect as many people around. It's still really loud," Barrett said.
The relationship between the Boom Crew and Griz fans is symbiotic – while fans rely on the boom crew for the complete football game experience, the crew draws energy from crowd support.
"Having that encouragement and having that support it truly means a lot to us," said University of Montana Professor of Military Science Fred Brown.
