MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY — The Bobcats took the field Monday for the first day of fall camp, which is what we call it when 115 large men gather in August to hit each other while Coach Brent Vigen watches from a golf cart.

The big story this year is the quarterbacks. Redshirt freshman Jake Metcalf of Belgrade is competing with Tyrell Washington, a transfer from Houston who has never seen snow but owns three heated vests. Metcalf’s dad owns Metcalf Feed & Seed. Washington’s dad owns a logistics company. Both threw nice balls Tuesday. Both also threw two interceptions. Vigen said the position will be decided by “who protects the football and runs the offense,” which is coach speak for “please stop throwing it to the other team.”

The other story is the new indoor practice facility. It cost $14 million. It is a metal building with turf and two space heaters the size of jet engines. The heaters run on propane. They sound like a 747 taking off. You cannot hear the whistle. The players love it. “It’s state of the art,” said senior linebacker Cole Petersen, who grew up on a ranch outside Wilsall. “My barn has better insulation but this has Wi-Fi.”

The NIL collective — called “Bridger Mountain Collective” — bought everyone new cleats. The collective is three car dealers, an orthodontist, and a guy who made money in Utah tech. They meet at the Open Range once a month. They ordered 120 pairs of Nikes. The equipment manager said they fit fine except for the kicker, who wears a size 14 wide. They’re overnighting those from Memphis.

Attendance at practice was light. About 40 season ticket holders sat in the bleachers. Most wore hoodies. It was 58 degrees. “Back in ‘84 we practiced in shorts in November,” said Tom Hecker, who has had season tickets since 1979. “But also we went 2-9.”

The Bobcats scrimmage Saturday at 10 a.m. The space heaters will be on. The coffee will be free. The quarterback question will remain unanswered.