Tournament schedule unfolds
The 2026 Montana/Alberta Class AA Legion state tournament will run from July 25 through July 29 in Lethbridge, Alberta, featuring fifteen games that pit a dozen teams from Montana and Alberta against each other, culminating in a championship game on July 29.
Opening day on Saturday, July 25, kicks off with Helena taking on Billings Scarlets at ten a.m., followed by a matchup of Great Falls versus Bozeman at one p.m., and Missoula versus Kalispell at four p.m., with the evening game pitting the host Lethbridge squad against the Billings Royals at seven p.m.
Sunday, July 26, brings the first round of elimination games, as the losers of the opening contests meet in a 10 a.m. clash, while another elimination contest begins at one p.m., and the winners of the earlier games meet later in the afternoon at four p.m., setting up an evening showdown at seven p.m.
Monday, July 27, brings the tournament’s semifinal stage, with the winner of the 10 a.m. elimination game facing the loser of the Sunday afternoon semifinal at one p.m., and the winner of the 4 p.m. elimination game meeting the loser of the same semifinal later that evening at seven p.m., leaving a single undefeated team to advance.
The championship game is scheduled for Wednesday, July 29, at eleven a.m., and if a tie persists, a second championship game will follow later that day, with the host team retaining the ability to influence start times on the first two days of play.
Organizers note that pairings for the later games will avoid rematches unless unavoidable, and the American Legion Tournament Director will have final say on those arrangements, while the host city may express preferences for game times on the opening two days.