BILLINGS On Saturday, the "Brawl of the Wild" football game between the University of Montana Grizzlies and Montana State University Bobcats captured the attention of fans across the state. While jersey colors filled the stands, the rivalry was also evident on the streets.With nearly 400 different sponsored license plates available, one of the largest offerings in the country, Montana gives its residents a wide variety of ways to show support for local causes. The proceeds of these plates all go towards funding 501(c)(3) nonprofits across the state. The number is big. Theres a lot of revenue coming in for these non-profits and its going to good use," said Mike Walker, the Bureau Chief for Vehicle Services Bureau and Motor Vehicle Division in Montana.Seventy-five percent of the funds must stay in Montana, but the non-profits can use the funds at their discretion. "There's some guidelines as to how many you have to sell within a certain time period, three years, I think it is to keep your plate as a nonprofit plate," said Walker. "Each time we review twice a year, there's about six to eight new plates that are applying to be sponsored plates." While our state offers one of the most diverse selections of license plates in the country, it's the rivalry between the Grizzlies and the Bobcats that takes center stage. The sponsored plates bring in about $300,000 a year to both universities that go to support scholarships. The competition between the Griz and the Cats is fierce. According to Walker, there are 10,983 plates supporting the University of Montana Grizzlies, while the Bobcats have 10,007."Just barely were a maroon state according to the license plates," said Walker. The divide between Griz and Bobcat supporters is not just a statewide phenomenonit's reflected in Montana's counties, too. In Missoula County, home of the University of Montana, nearly 94% of the specialty plates are Griz-themed, with 2,866 Griz to 184 Bobcat. On the other hand, in Gallatin County, where Montana State University is based, Bobcat plates dominate with a similar margin, with 1,780 Bobcat to 102 Griz.In Yellowstone County, the numbers tilt in favor of the Bobcats, with 1,768 Bobcat plates compared to 1,411 Griz plates. However, Cascade County is the most evenly divided, with 1,049 MSU plates and 1,046 UM plates. Other counties are more divided. Silverbow County has 381 UM plates to 188 MSU plates, and Flathead County has nearly 1,000 UM plates compared to 500 MSU ones. Fans of both teams often request personalized plates to represent their support, and according to Walker, its not always easy to meet those requests, especially when the messages are not so friendly. They usually have to deny a personalized Griz or Cat-themed request once a month. We get requests all the time for personalized Cat and Griz plates, and theyre not always nice so we dont always let those get out of here, but theyre competitive, said Walker. "Youve got your variations of 'Go Griz' and 'Go Cats,' and of course, you can only have one plate with that text on it, so people are getting pretty creative out there."No matter which team you cheer for, its clear that Montanans have a deep-rooted pride in their teams and their plates.People have a lot of pride in what they put on their vehicles. Ive seen that emotion through the years. People love their plates," said Walker.